Neighborhood Landmarks as Perceived by Persons Living with Dementia
Objectives: To study how older adults with mild-to-moderate dementia perceive neighborhood landmarks and their potential as wayfinding cues. Methods: The study was conducted in two phases employing mixed methods. Phase 1: neighborhood walking group for persons with mild to moderate dementia (N = 5) using PhotoVoice and photo-elicited surveys. Phase 2: researchers and practitioners who work with older adults with and without dementia (N = 9) using photo-elicited survey-cum-interviews. Results: Public art was slightly more noticeable and attractive than historical buildings. Characteristics of strong landmarks included having a clear purpose, familiarity, strategic location within an accessible context, high visibility and contrast, appropriate relational scale, unique aesthetics, ease of comprehensibility and stability. Conclusions: Further research is necessary to ascertain relative noticeability of different landmarks according to type, scale and location. Studies need to also take into account individual differences that account for diversity in the dementia experience, to understand the range of perceptions of landmarks.