Soundscape in dementia care environment

Noise is an important sensory stimulus in any environment, especially in unfamiliar settings. Noise is impossible to ignore, and any disturbing noise or constant sound can be agitating, disturbing, and confusing for people who cannot escape the environment. People with dementia may already feel disoriented, isolated, and confined inside care facilities; uncontrolled sound can add to their anxiety and distress. Soundscape refers to the human perception of the auditory environment in context; it relies not only on the subjective quality of sound by quantifying the sound level but also the objective quality of the auditory environment based on people’s perception. The aim of this study is to describe the soundscape of the Specialized Dementia Unit at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, through data collection and observation, and to evaluate the quality of soundscape. Results show that the overall sound level (dB) of the unit is higher than recommendations, and also, the observation study shows that higher sound level not necessarily results in negative atmosphere, such as chaos or agitation. The findings prove a need for further study on the relation between the sound level and the perception of sound in dementia care units, which can foster improvement in quality of life for residents and staff.