Aplinkos įtaka demencija sergančių asmenų gyvenimo kokybei: globos namų patirtis ; Impact of environment on quality of life of people with dementia: nursing home experience

Today, one of the most striking phenomena is the increase in the number of elderly people and the ageing of the population. M. G. Kordušienė (2013) emphasises: “The ageing of the population is undoubtedly creating a radically new economic and social context” (Kordušienė, 2013, p. 22). As the population ages, senile mental disorders, including dementia, which is characterized by senile dementia, Alzheimer's disease and other diseases that interfere with the independent functioning of the sick, their daily activities and cognitive functions, are increasingly encountered. The Commission of the European Communities (2009) emphasises that 'Dementias are a group of neurodegenerative diseases and are not simply part of the normal ageing process' (Commission of the European Communities, 2009, p. 2). According to Alzheimer's Disease International (2021), nearly 10 million new cases are diagnosed worldwide each year or every three seconds as a result of a new dementia case. Various studies show that this number may double, rising to 82 million people with dementia worldwide by 2030 and to 152 million by 2050 (WHO, 2020). When analyzing the quality of life of people with dementia, scientists say that people with dementia are greatly affected by the social and physical environment around them. In order to improve the quality of life of people with dementia, social workers use unconventional methods of social work aimed at reducing or delaying the causes of the disease, thus ensuring the needs of the residents of care homes. Recent research shows that the physical environment of people with dementia, along with therapeutic activities, is inextricably linked to a better quality of life (Hons, 2016). However, research conducted in Lithuania reveals that the environment for people with dementia is not adapted, emphasizes S. Potapovienė (2008), who also highlights that health and social care services are not specialized for people with dementia, because the environment of care institutions and nursing units is not sufficiently ...