ENVIRONMENTS FOR THE DEMENTING

The Multiphasic Environmental Assessment Procedure (MEAP; Moos and Lemke, 1984) was used to assess a British sample of specialized envionments for the dementing and elderly. Results supported the utility of the MEAP as a measurement tool. Shortcomings in the planning for such environments were identified, for example in the provision of adequate safety, prosthetic and orientational aids, and some assumptions about care priorities were challenged, such as the cruciality of ‘integration’ and the necessity for proximity to community facilities of units for the dementing. Comparisons with American normative data were made, with the most consistent finding being a more satisfactory provision of physical environment features in the American sample. Copyright © 1990 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.