In nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, where institutional kitchen dcor is the norm, simple touches such as installing side-by-side refrigerators and adding real houseplants create a homey ambience that puts residents at ease, said John Marsden, an assistant professor in the UF College of Design, Construction and Planning. Mardsen's study was published in the summer issue of the Activities Directors Quarterly for Alzheimer's and Other Dementia Patients.
The right design also gives those residents a comfortable and safe place to sharpen their mental abilities.
"There's been a lot of talk and emphasis on domestic or therapeutic kitchens," Marsden said. "The purpose of this research was to gain an understanding of physical features that typically comprise therapeutic kitchen design, and to explore how these features support activities programming and food-service systems in assisted-living and nursing-home facilities," said Marsden, who is affiliated with UF's Institute on Aging and has co-authored two books dealing with making dementia-care facilities more like home and supportive of residents.
Nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, where half of residents are estimated to have some form of dementia, often provide kitchen-based activities to aid social interaction and keep residents involved in meaningful tasks. The kitchens in such facilities, however, may lack the physical features and familiarity necessary to provide therapeutic benefits.
People with dementia experience problems with memory, reasoning or judgment, disorientation, loss of language skills and a decline in the ability to perform routine tasks. They also may undergo changes in their perso
'"/>
Contact: John Marsden
jmarsden@ufl.edu
352-392-0252
University of Florida
14-Nov-2002