The Presence of Memory-Enriched Environments for Cognitively Impaired Nursing Home Residents

Abstract Enriched living environments that contain a wide array of personal memorabilia and memory-stimulating cues have the potential to support cognitive functioning. The purpose of this ethnographic research was to describe the care environments of older adults with cognitive impairment living in nursing homes (n = 42), to evaluate the degree to which these environments contained memory-stimulating cues, and to understand the extent to which these environments were cognitively stimulating for older adults with dementia. Results indicated varying levels of enrichment both within and between homes, with nearly a quarter of the residents living in environments that contained no memory-enhancing stimuli.