INTERVIEWS WITH PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA

In total 17 residents with light dementia were interviewd one-on-one. The way of conducting the  interviews was adapted to suit the residents. Difficulty when interviewing people with dementia lies in the loss of memory and thus correctly understanding the asked questions. Therefore, the questions were repeated three times in the conversation with the residents, in different sentences. Between the same question the subject was changed. If they answered three times the same, the answer was assumed correct and used in this research. 

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The outcome of the interviews showed that in large-scale care facilities (more than 8 residents) the perceived living environment often doesn't exist beyond their own chair, it's their safe spot. It is more difficult for people with dementia to overlook the whole home in the bigger care facilities.  Most of the residents choose a place in a corner in the hallway (so they can see both ways) or face to the entrance of a room (so they can see who enters). Therefore they can keep easier overview of the space, and they will more likely understand what is happening in a room.

Another outcome showed that all residents like to watch an activity, in contrast to a view were nothing happens. For example they prefered a busy street view instead of a busy wall. This was also reflected in the house itself, as the kitchen was the hot-spot during the day. 

 

One interesting outcome of the interview was that the residents preceived it cold inside when it looks like it's cold outside (clouds, windy, less light). This had nothing to do with the temperature inside the home, as that was kept steady. The nurses indicate that the residents take more naps during the day in wintertime than in summertime.