Active Ageing Impact Lab, Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management, Taylor's University, Malaysia.
Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2023 Dec;115:105135. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2023.105135. Epub 2023 Jul 20.
In their twilight years, spatial disorientation can cause significant challenges for older adults, leading them to become perpetually disoriented or rely more on environmental cues and others for navigation. Unfortunately, wayfinding within senior living facilities is often an afterthought for senior living facility planners. This study explores the lived experiences of older adults coping with spatial disorientation and wayfinding in senior living facilities and the consequential impact on their physical, social, and psychosocial well-being. Data were collected from 28 older adults in six senior living facilities within three urban locations. The study used one-on-one, semi-structured, in-depth interviews and the Modified Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen analysis method guided by Moustakas' transcendental phenomenology. Five primary themes emerged: spatial disorientation, wayfinding, self-evident stimuli, visual cues and constancies, and digital wayfinding decision junctions. Through a "looking out from the inside" approach, the findings have valuable implications for academics, senior-friendly environments, government policymakers, hospitality and healthcare industries.
在晚年，空间定向障碍会给老年人带来重大挑战，使他们长期迷失方向，或更加依赖环境线索和他人来导航。不幸的是，老年人生活设施的寻路往往是老年人生活设施规划者事后才考虑的问题。本研究探讨了老年人在老年人生活设施中应对空间定向障碍和寻路的生活体验，以及对其身体、社交和心理社会健康的影响。数据来自三个城市的六家老年人生活设施中的 28 名老年人。该研究采用一对一、半结构化、深入访谈的方法，以 Moustakas 的超验现象学为指导，采用改良的 Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen 分析方法。出现了五个主要主题：空间定向障碍、寻路、显而易见的刺激、视觉线索和恒常性以及数字寻路决策节点。通过“从内部看外部”的方法，这些发现对学术界、老年人友好环境、政府政策制定者、酒店和医疗保健行业都具有重要意义。
