失智老人遊走空間之環境設計元素權重研究

Factor Weighting of the Environmental Elements Designed for the Wandering Space of the Demented Elderly

失智老人遊走所產生的相關風險包含面臨潛在的危險，例如跌倒或骨折，介入措施或管理措施應考量這些風險。實質環境應聚焦於如何安全地提供老人遊走行為的有效介入措施，以及讓遊走變成是一個有意義活動的機會。這個研究將調查為失智老人遊走行為所提供的徘徊空間中，各種被認為符合職能治療因素之環境元素，並且研究這些環境元素的權重關係。66位來自失智老人特別照護中心之照護人員參與此項研究，他們回答一份有關創造一個職能治療情境所必要的環境元素之問卷。研究結果顯示，個人懷舊物品和懷舊照片促進失智老人懷舊而讓他們處於熟悉情境是有幫助的；其他有助於創造符合職能治療情境之環境元素，包含可以看到日光的窗戶、仿造的水果、節慶的展示佈置、宗教的雕像等元素。此外，在徘徊空間呈現動物和植物，例如水族箱的魚和有花的植物，也都是重要的環境元素。相對的是懷舊圖案、資料佈告欄、圖畫、小羊寵物、爬藤、水中植物等環境元素對於建構一個職能治療的情境是不重要的元素。

Potential risks of hazards associated with the wandering of demented elders include falls and fractures, to which should be taken into account by intervention and management measures. The physical environment should focus on how to provide effective intervention measure for demented elders with wandering behaviors and to make wandering become a meaningful activity for such elders. This research investigated a variety of environmental elements that may serve as therapeutic elements in the wandering space of the demented elders and studied the weight relationship among those environmental elements. Sixty-six (66) caregivers coming from six special care centers participated in this study to complete a questionnaire concerning required environmental elements for the creation of a therapeutic setting. The results showed that elements such as personal belongings and pictures were helpful to promote the demented elders’ nostalgia. Other beneficial environmental elements helping to create functionally therapeutic scenarios included daylights from windows, artificial fruit, festival displays and religious statues. In addition, the appearance of animals and plants in wandering space, such as aquarium fish and flowering plants, are also important environmental elements, while other environmental elements of nostalgia images, information bulletins, drawings, pet lamb, climbing and water plants were less important in constructing a functionally therapeutic scenario.