Navigation for People with Mild Dementia

Community dwelling is a problem for people with dementia. Can GPS route navigation support on a mobile device provide a solution? In a small scale exploratory research with this target group we studied the effects of two different types of audio instructions and assessed the pedestrian safety while operating the device. Methodological issues that limited the size and scope of data collection notwithstanding, evidence of unsafe behaviour was not found. Navigation instructions spoken by a familiar voice seemed to have a positive impact on the effectiveness of the navigation system, while the use of warning sounds seemed to have the opposite effect.