Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1993. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-86). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1993. / "Individual workshop report." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 118-121).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1994. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 105-116). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes special report study entitled : Interactive circulation space for elderly. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes special study report entitled: 'Pattern language' of elderly indoors living. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Abstract The living circumstances of the elderly are closely related to the social changes in society. The aim of this research is to firstly, identify the impact of social changes on the spatial organization of dwellings and housing from the perspective of the elderly within the framework of social ageing, and secondly to examine the reasons for relocation of the elderly to sheltered housing. Using this data, some recommendations are made about a suitable barrier-free housing model for the elderly based on traditional Finnish rural housing. In addition to the need for barrier-free design criteria in the design process of future dwellings, understanding the social and psychological aspects of the traditional housing of the northern outreach can provide a new perspective for developing and modifying current living environments of the network society. Dwelling architecture already contains a versatile spatial order and a productive identity to constitute different levels of social order and integration. Applied in the network society, the traditional Finnish housing feature known as "tupa" has the capability of exceeding the physical boundaries of home to integrate the service possibilities of the cyberworld. This "tupa" model, both on the dwelling unit level and on the housing level, is not only suitable for the lifestyle of the network society, but also for the elderly who are gradually growing fragile. The "tupa" model functions as a suitable space for the elderly; firstly, as a place to grow old as productive members of the society after retirement and, secondly, as a place to function as active members fostered by the housing community and by the facilities of the network society. "Theme housing" model which is a reinterpretation of the principles of Finnish rural housing, provides a model which can both facilitate social interaction, and the productivity of different generations, while avoiding isolation and social exclusion in the network society.

The number of elderly people moving into long-term care facilities is expected to increase as the population of people 65 and older continues to rise at a significantly high rate. Simultaneously, the number of people expected to be diagnosed with dementia will also increase unless a cure for this devastating disease is found. In the meantime, caregivers face many problems in providing healthy and humane treatments. One such problem that is a major concern for caregivers is controlling wandering behavior. This behavior often places patients in life threatening situations, and the current methods used by many facilities do not promote a high quality of life. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of various tape patterns on the wandering behaviors of residents living in a special dementia care unit in Heritage Hall Nursing Home, Blacksburg, Virginia. Similar studies revealed that alternative methods using tape patterns could reduce exiting attempts at a fire exit door or could possibly increase these attempts. In order to address these inconsistencies, exiting attempts at a fire exit door were recorded during one baseline and two similar test conditions. It was found that exiting attempts was a serious problem in this unit as 40% of the residents attempted to exit the faci I ity during the study. The use of tape patterns reduced exiting attempts by 19.05% and 11.12%; however, this reduction was not statistically significant. In conclusion, the use of these tape patterns affected wandering behavior differently for each of the residents, suggesting that a multi-method approach for controlling exiting behavior may prove to be more successful when dealing with a heterogeneous sample and their multi-needs. / Master of Science

Unsafe exits from dementia care units present problems for residents and pose ethical dilemmas for caregivers. The purpose of this experimental research was to determine whether visual barriers reduced the exiting behavior of residents in a long-term care facility. A visual barrier was defined as one that appeared to be an obstruction, but that did not impede egress through the door. The study was conducted in a 30-bed dementia care unit and was limited to the emergency exit door where an alarm sounded each time the panic bar was touched. An “exit" was defined as a resident touching the panic bar and sounding the alarm. The sample consisted of 3 females and 6 males who attempted to exit the unit at least once during baseline condition. All residents were diagnosed with some form of dementia. The tests were conducted under three visual barriers and one baseline condition. Each condition was observed for seven days from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. The schedule was as follows: Baseline Condition: No experimental manipulation was used. This observation provided a comparison for the three test conditions. Test Condition 1: Mini-blinds that covered the glazing of the door. Test Condition 2: Cloth panel that covered the panic bar of the door. Test Condition 3: Both the mini blind and the cloth panel. During baseline collection, 9 residents triggered the alarm for a total of 120 attempted exits. Test condition 1 decreased exiting to 73 attempts. During test condition 2, 5 attempted exits occurred, and 18 attempted exits occurred during test condition 3. Statistical analysis included Friedman’s Rank test for correlated samples and Wilcoxon Sign Rank tests for treatment versus control comparisons. Test conditions 2 and 3 significantly reduced attempted exits while test condition 1 was not statistically significant. In conclusion, visual barriers were a safe and effective method for deterring resident exiting for this particular nursing home. / Master of Science

Recent experiences in environmental design have suggested the importance of understanding the wants and needs of users of various settings. Designers of large-scale environments find it necessary to turn to others professionals for guidance in designing more responsive settings for daily living. Existing misfits between behavioral needs of the elderly and the community spaces in planned residential environments are explored. It was found that the designer often worked with inadequate and sometimes misleading information while confronted with tasks which demanded deeper understanding of human behavior and desires. The central issue of this thesis is focused on the questions: how can we bridge the communication gap between researchers and designers? And, how can the information, which were presented by behavioral researchers, be best translated into formats useful to designers? As an illustration, the thesis concludes with the descriptions of the guidelines for twenty-two activity areas deemed essential in the design of community spaces in elderly housing. In these guidelines, spatial relationships, environmental qualities, and furnishings and equipment for each are suggested. / M. Arch.