# MANAGEMENT OF PACING IN NURSING HOME RESIDENTS

> **NIH NIH R01** · HEBREW HOME OF GREATER WASHINGTON · 1993 · $107,973

## Abstract

Wandering and pacing are fairly common problems in elderly persons
suffering from Alzheimer's disease.  The necessity for managing these
behaviors is widely recognized, and represents one of the major challenges
in long-term care.

The proposed study builds on the findings of our previous studies on
behavioral problems in the nursing home.  These studies suggested that
pacing/wandering needs to be accommodated rather than reduced; it needs to
be accepted by caregivers, and related problems like exit-seeking behaviors
and trespassing need to be addressed.

The aim of this study is to investigate the utility of three interventions
in the management of pacing and wandering in nursing home residents
suffering from dementia.  These are:
1)  Educational training of staff as to current knowledge regarding
pacing/wandering as well as dementia.  2)  Provision of stimulation on the
corridors of the unit; three types of visual/auditory/olfactory stimuli
will be used to simulate the following environments: nature scene, interior
of a home, and people oriented scene which will be compared to the units
status quo.  3)  Utilization of an outdoor sheltered park by residents who
tend to pace/wander.

Impact will be examined for residents, staff and families.  The proposed
research will address the following research questions in separate studies:

1.  Which device or combination of devices provides the most reliable and
practical method for the objective measurement of pacing/wandering?

2.  Does an educational program for staff affect their perceptions of the
acceptability of pacing/wandering, and their allowing residents to
pace/wander at all times?

3.  Which environmental stimuli are preferred by nursing home residents who
pace?  What is the effect of these simulated "natural" environments on
residents and staff?

4.  Does access to an outdoor, sheltered garden area in which the
pacer/wanderer walks affect the resident who tends to pace/wander?

5.  Does the impact on residents of the stimulated corridor environments
differ from the impact of the outdoor sheltered garden?

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3123425
- **Project number:** 5R01AG011502-02
- **Recipient organization:** HEBREW HOME OF GREATER WASHINGTON
- **SAM.gov UEI:** RY46DLNQAN83
- **Principal Investigator:** Jiska Cohen-Mansfield
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1993
- **Award amount:** $107,973
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1992-09-30 → 1995-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3123425

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3123425, MANAGEMENT OF PACING IN NURSING HOME RESIDENTS (5R01AG011502-02). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3123425. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*