Supporting independent indoor travel of people with blindness and intellectual disability with reduced frequencies of auditory cues

Intervention strategies for spatial orientation disorders in dementia: a selective review

PURPOSE

This article provides a brief overview of the intervention strategies aimed at reducing spatial orientation disorders in elderly people with dementia.

METHODS

Eight experimental studies using spatial cues, assistive technology programs, reality orientation training, errorless learning technique, and backward chaining programs are described. They can be classified into two main approaches: restorative and compensatory, depending on whether they rely or not on residual learning ability, respectively.

RESULTS

A review of the efficacy of these intervention strategies is proposed. Results suggest that both compensatory and restorative approaches may be valuable in enhancing correct way-finding behavior, with various degrees of effectiveness. Some issues concerning (a) variability in participants' characteristics and experimental designs and (b) practicality of intervention strategies do not permit to draw a definite conclusion.

CONCLUSIONS

Future research should be aimed at a direct comparison between these two strategies, and should incorporate an extensive neuropsychological assessment of spatial domain.

Persons with mild or moderate Alzheimer's disease use a basic orientation technology to travel to different rooms within a day center

This study assessed whether three patients with Alzheimer's disease could learn to use a basic orientation technology to reach different rooms within a day center. At each travel instance, the technology provided verbal messages (cues) from the room to reach. For the first two patients, the messages were presented at intervals of about 15s. For the third patient (who had more extensive orientation problems), shorter intervals combined with the voice of the research assistant were initially used. Results showed that all three patients were successful in using the technology to orient their travel and find the rooms correctly. A social validation assessment, in which university psychology students were asked to rate the patients' travel performance with the technology and with the help of a caregiver, provided generally higher (more positive) scores for the technology-assisted performance. The implications of the findings for daily programs of patients with Alzheimer's disease are discussed.