Assessment of the acoustic environments in dementia care units: a case study

Dementia patients represent a particularly vulnerable group of people that are easily affected by their surroundings. Minor disturbances can lead to challenging behavior for the caregiving staff. Sensory stimulation is a critical factor in the treatment of these patients. At the same time, there is a challenge associated with it overstimulation as this can lead to social isolation, known as a factor that increases the risk of developing a dementia diagnosis. Therefore, a tailored sound environments is important to promote an inclusive environment for the patients to increase their well being and life quality. This study aims to discover the acoustical conditions at dementia care units in two hospitals, examine the impact of acoustic environment on patients and provide feedback about the existing standards and regulations for such buildings. In-depth interviews and measurements are combined to conduct both qualitative and quantitative feedback from the actual environment and users. The results can be used to develop acoustical design criteria for dementia units in the future.