Wayfinding in People with Alzheimer’s Disease: Perspective Taking and Architectural Cognition—A Vision Paper on Future Dementia Care Research Opportunities
Saskia Kuliga,
Martin Berwig and
Martina Roes
Additional contact information
Saskia Kuliga: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Witten site, 58453 Witten, Germany
Martin Berwig: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Witten site, 58453 Witten, Germany
Martina Roes: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Witten site, 58453 Witten, Germany
Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 3, 1-24
Abstract:
Based on a targeted literature review, this vision paper emphasizes the importance of dementia-sensitive built space. The article specifically focuses on supporting spatial orientation and wayfinding for people living with dementia. First, we discuss types of wayfinding challenges, underlying processes, and consequences of spatial disorientation in the context of dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. Second, we focus on current efforts aimed at planning and evaluating dementia-sensitive built space, i.e., environmental design principles, interventions, evaluation tools, strategies, and planning processes. Third, we use our findings as a starting point for developing an interdisciplinary research vision aimed at encouraging further debates and research about: (1) the perspective of a person with dementia, specifically in the context of wayfinding and spatial orientation, and (2) how this perspective supplements planning and design processes of dementia-sensitive built space. We conclude that more closely considering the perspective of people with dementia supports the development of demographically sustainable future cities and care institutions.
Keywords: dementia; Alzheimer’s disease; wayfinding; spatial orientation; support; built space; environmental psychology; architectural cognition; perspective taking; demographic sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:3:p:1084-:d:484408
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