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Activity situations on an Alzheimer's disease special care unit and resident environmental interaction, time use, and affect

Associate Professor, Division of Occupational Therapy, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Shelly Harris, MS, OTR/L, MBA

Genesis Rehabilitation Services, Apex, North Carolina.

Melinda Snider, MS, OTR/L

Occupational Therapist, Pomerene Hospital, Wooster, Ohio.

Stacy A. Patchel, MPH

Rho, Inc., Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Routine activity situations on an Alzheimer's disease (AD) special care unit were examined with respect to residents' social and physical environmental interactions, time use, and apparent affect. Using a computerassisted observational tool, observers recorded prevailing activity situations and corresponding behaviors and affects of seven residents every 10 minutes, from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM,across four days. Although meals/snacks and some activity groups were positively associated with use of physical objects and engagement in activities, residents were predominantly environmentally disengaged, inactive, or without positive affects during the most prevalent activity situations of background media, downtime, and television. Findings suggest that routine activity situations may act as potent environmental influences on the quality of life (QOL) of people with AD and mediate the effectiveness of other environmental interventions undertaken on their behalf.

Key Words: activity situations • Alzheimer's disease • quality of life

American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias®, Vol. 20, No. 2, 105-118 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/153331750502000210


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