An analysis tool to match home environmental interventions to the specific needs of people with Dementia

Background: The number of people with dementia will increase tremendously within the next decades. Aim: The aim of the project was to develop an analysis tool that matches home environmental interventions to dementia-related needs. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted to evaluate possible home environmental interventions for community-dwelling people. The analysis tool was developed taking into account current German health care regulations and dementia-specific needs that might be influenced by interventions in the built environment, in particular the domestic environment. Results: The analysis tool is an aid to help with better decision making when planning home improvement measures for people with dementia and shows the spectrum of possible interventions to meet individual needs. Conclusion: The main precondition for the use of this analysis tool is the need to assess the specific situation and the individual abilities of people with dementia. The complexity of the domestic environment can only be illustrated if personal and environmental requirements for the respective intervention are determined. The detailing of these factors will follow in a further study.