The Influence of Outdoor Education to Improve the Quality of Life for Individuals with Dementia

Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Master of Education Degree in the College of Education and Human Service Professions, University of Minnesota Duluth, 2010. Committee names: Ken Gilbertson (Chair), H. Mitzi Doane, Mark Mazuko. This item has been modified from the original to redact the signatures present.(D-QOL) (Brod, Stewart, Sands & Walton, 1999) instrument was administered to all participants prior to and after a series of outdoor sessions in which three subjects participated in. The D-QOL provided quantitative data, while audio-recording, transcribing and coding of the outdoor sessions provided qualitative data. Results indicate no statistical significance in D-QOL scores; however, there were increases across several of the domains of quality of life (established by the D-QOL) for two of the treatment group participants. Other resulting implications include the consideration of short-term quality of life improvement and that what individuals find personally meaningful throughout their life may continue to be influential despite a diagnosis of dementia. The results provide recommendations for other adult day programs serving individuals with dementia. These recommendations include being deliberate with offered activities, increasing resources, and becoming aware of what holds personal meaning for attendees. Future studies would benefit from increased sample sizes, including objective observations and measurements and a greater diversity of participants.University of Minnesota, Duluth. College of Education and Human Service Profession