Effects of Visual Cues and Education for People Who Live Within Long Term Care Communities to Assist in Wayfinding

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Alzheimer Disease, Alzheimer Dementia, Age-Related Memory Disorders, Dementia

In brief

The ability to find one's way in the world is known as wayfinding. Many older adults who live in senior communities, such as independent living and assisted living residences, find wayfinding very challenging. Often times, these communities are not designed in a way that helps people find their way very easily. When people cannot find their way, they can get lost, be dependent upon others for getting out and about, or even be afraid to leave their rooms. The purpose of this study is to find out if distinctive signs and decorative elements, along with a special type of education called Spaced-Retrieval education, help residents in these communities find their way more effectively. Twelve senior communities will be assigned by chance to one of three conditions, including: 1) control - no change (the community stays the same); 2) signs and decorative elements enhanced; and 3) signs, decorative elements, and special education added. After agreeing to be in the study, the participants will be asked to find their way to certain places in their community four times over a year. Some people will be asked to participate in educational sessions on wayfinding. In addition, some people will be asked to wear a location tracker, (like a fitness tracker), for four weeks during the year. How well people find their way, along with how much they travel about within the communities, will be compared between the three groups. It is hypothesized that those in the communities with special signs and decorative elements will find their way more effectively than those in the control communities. It is also hypothesized that participants in the communities with the special education intervention will find their way better than those without the education. Finally, it is hypothesized that participants in the communities with signs and cues and education will travel about further distances than those in the control communities. The results of the study can help people who have a tendency to get lost find their way more effectively in their community, and this could result in more independence.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT03537729

Run by

Grand Valley State University

People needed

172

Starts

2019-06-12

Expected to finish

2023-10-23

Last updated by the study team

2024-11-04

Who can join

Age: 62 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Age 62 or older;
• Wayfinding impairment identified by the subject or staff and exhibited at baseline, including problems finding their way among three defined locations (these may differ among care communities);
• Ability to move self either independently by walking or using mobility aids (self-mobile; any mobility aids are acceptable)
• Ability to communicate with researchers and follow directions
• Ability to see and read signs in English.

You may not qualify if…

• Chronic health conditions that impair the ability to participate in the study, such as severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (limiting movement) or terminal illness;
• Signs of rapid deterioration in health during the past 6 months as evidenced by staff communication or medical records.

Where it is running

• Grand Valley State University — Allendale, Michigan, United States
• Brush Development — Chardon, Ohio, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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