Environmental management of senile dementia.

A model is described of social activity in club settings geared to the needs of demented and cognitively impaired old people living in the community. As well as reality orientation, guided social interaction, physical activity, dance therapy and craftsmanship, important elements include transport, home assessment and follow-up visits. Parallel support groups for spouses are essential to the complete program, which coordinates planning with local authority agencies. The complex also includes educational programs for staff, professionals and the public. This design is seen as an on-going neighborhood project in which at focal points of the week, the patient enters a meaningful social environment with which he can cope.