Understanding and supporting safe walking with purpose among people living with dementia in extra care, retirement and domestic housing

Purpose The purpose this paper is to explore walking with purpose in extra care, retirement and domestic housing settings in order to better understand and support people living with dementia in these settings, develop recommendations and inform practice. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods study was employed: scoping literature review; online survey of extra care and retirement housing managers in the UK; case studies involving interviews with staff and family carers (n=14) of ten individuals who engaged in walking with purpose in the different housing settings. Findings Although residents who walk with purpose constituted a minority (0-2 residents), managing walking with purpose can be challenging and time consuming. Distraction or redirection was the most common response. Other strategies included identifying the resident’s motivations and accommodating their wishes or walking with them. Culture of care, staff training and dementia friendly design are key to effective support for safe walking with purpose. Responses to walking with purpose in the domestic housing settings raised serious deprivation of liberty issues. Research limitations The study had a number of limitations. The completed survey questionnaires represent a self-selected sample of extra care and retirement housing settings and responses are based on the perceptions of the staff members completing the survey. There were a relatively small number of case study sites (3 extra care and 3 retirement housing) and it was not possible to interview family members for all of the residents who walked with purpose. Originality/Value This study provides unique data on walking with purpose in extra care and retirement housing setting in the UK.