The Designing for Dementia Knowledge Library

11 Areas of Daily Living

Daily Living Challenge

DATA

the Mental or Physical Dysfunction

Knowledge

Person
dining table

I get tired of picking up PET bottles from the desk. I have to judge the distance and consciously reach out my hand to get it.

Cannot sense or operate one's own body
Cannot tell distance
Cannot tell depth
Cannot tell directions or loss of spatial orientation
Become easily fatigued, mentally and physically

Mayumi Yamada
dining table

Stains of soy sauce on a white plate, which should not move, appears to be moving.

Stationary objects appear to be in motion

Naomi Higuchi
dining table

Sesame seeds on the table, which are actually not moving, appear to be moving.

Stationary objects appear to be in motion

Naomi Higuchi
eating utensils

When eating, it is difficult for me to use and hold chopsticks.

Cannot sense or operate one's own body
Cannot tell distance
Cannot tell depth
Cannot tell directions or loss of spatial orientation

Mayumi Yamada
eating utensils

When dining, I cannot stick my fork to where I aim at.

Cannot sense or operate one's own body
Cannot tell distance
Cannot tell depth
Cannot tell directions or loss of spatial orientation

Mayumi Yamada
eating utensils

Mugs are difficult to hold and use. They are difficult to use if the color is the same inside and outside.

Cannot sense or operate one's own body
Cannot distinguish colors
Cannot tell distance
Cannot tell depth
Cannot tell directions or loss of spatial orientation

It is better if they have adequate weight and some firmness. They are easier to use if the colors are different inside and outside.

Mayumi Yamada
eating utensils

Cannot tell what dishes are in the cupboard. Even when I open the cupboard, as soon as I close it, I cannot remember what are inside.

What you see/hear immediately disappears from memory
Cannot retain/recall your own behavior, experiences, and habits

Naomi Higuchi
menu/recipe
reading/writing Chinese characters
selecting items

It takes time for me to see Chinese characters for miso (bean paste) and recognize that they stand for miso.

Cannot integrate/process more than one piece of information

Naomi Higuchi
promise
schedule

I sometimes forget about appointments.

Cannot retain/recall your plans and schedule

Keeping my schedule on my cell phone and using sticky notes because a paper calendar alone is not enough

Chie Iida (alias)
hospital visits
promise
schedule

Having difficulty remembering my schedule, I use a notebook and a calendar to check dates, make doctor appointments, etc.

Cannot retain/recall your plans and schedule

I write down what I need to do on the blackboard in my room and erase it when I am done so that it is easy for me to understand.

Iwao Kuboki
wallet
searching things

Having forgotten where I put it, I look desperately for my wallet. It is troubling when I am going out, for example for shopping.

Cannot retain/recall your own behavior, experiences, and habits

Iwao Kuboki
It is difficult for me to pull out the toilet paper from the roll by turning the paper round and round. I do not know where to hold and how to pull out.

Cannot sense or operate one's own body
Cannot tell distance
Cannot tell depth
Cannot tell directions or loss of spatial orientation

Mayumi Yamada
telephone/smartphone
cleaning up

It is difficult for me to plug appliances, such as a vacuum cleaner or a smart phone for charging the battery, into the electrical socket holes.

Cannot sense or operate one's own body
Cannot tell distance
Cannot tell depth
Cannot tell directions or loss of spatial orientation

Mayumi Yamada
schedule
disposing of garbage

I cannot remember garbage pick-up days that are not weekly but occasional, such as once a month.

Cannot retain/recall your plans and schedule

She is asking her daughter to take out the trash.

Mayumi Yamada
reading letters, words and sentences
schedule

I cannot locate dates in my scheduler notebook. I get confused when dates across different weeks are on the same line.

Cannot tell directions or loss of spatial orientation

Mayumi Yamada
telephone/smartphone

I have difficulty entering password numbers on my smart phone.

Cannot retain/recall numbers and symbols
Cannot sense or operate one's own body
Cannot tell distance
Cannot tell directions or loss of spatial orientation

I am using a fingerprinted password.

Mayumi Yamada
lease agreement

The owner of the property found out that I have dementia and refuse to renew the lease.

Hiroyuki Iwata
I feel the presence of someone passing behind me right now. I do not see the person, but I definitely feel a strong presence of someone.

Feel as if you are seeing things that should not be there

Naomi Higuchi
TO DO

I cannot remember what I thought I would have to do the day before.

Cannot retain/recall your plans and schedule

Naomi Higuchi
walking

I feel pain as if my toe is cut, although it is not actually cut.

Feel stimulation and pain that do not exist

Naomi Higuchi