Clutter-free environment may not help people with dementia

While it is generally assumed that a person with dementia will be better able to carry out daily tasks such as making tea when their home space is tidy and clutter free, "there has been very little research to really test this hypothesis," says Dr. Eneida Mioshi, principal author of a recent study from the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. The findings challenge the assumption that people with dementia function better in clutter-free environment, and active aging professionals might want to test the results in their own communities to better inform programming and environmental strategies.