Glossary

Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.

20 results found in Dementia.

Art Therapy (Creative Arts Therapy, Arts Therapy)
A form of psychotherapy that uses creative art-making as the primary mode of expression and communication. Art therapy is facilitated by trained therapists and can involve painting, drawing, collage, …
Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD, Behavioural Disturbance, Neuropsychiatric Symptoms)
A range of non-cognitive symptoms and behaviours associated with dementia, including agitation, aggression, wandering, repetitive behaviours, sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, delusions, and ha…
Care Staff (Care Worker, Direct Care Worker, Personal Care Aide, Care Assistant)
Individuals who provide day-to-day personal care and support to residents in care facilities, including assistance with eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, and mobility. Care staff are distinct from…
Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR, CDR Scale)
The Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) is a five-point staging scale used to characterise the severity of dementia, originally developed by Hughes and colleagues at Washington University in 1982. A clinic…
Clock Drawing Test (CDT)
The Clock Drawing Test (CDT) is a brief cognitive screening task in which a person is asked to draw a clock face, place the numbers, and set the hands to a specified time (commonly "ten past eleven").…
Confabulation (Clinical) (Clinical Confabulation)
Confabulation in a clinical sense is the unconscious production of fabricated, distorted, or misinterpreted memories without the intent to deceive - the person genuinely believes what they are recount…
Dementia-Friendly Community (Dementia Friendly Community)
An approach to inclusion in which public spaces, services, programs, and technologies are designed so that people living with dementia can continue to participate as active community members - shoppin…
Doll Therapy
A nonpharmacological intervention used in dementia care in which a person is given a lifelike doll to hold, dress, and care for. For some people with advanced dementia, engaging with the doll can redu…
Episodic Memory (Autobiographical Memory, Personal Experience Memory)
The memory of specific personal experiences and events, including details about what happened, where and when it occurred, and the emotions associated with it. Episodic memory allows people to mentall…
Illness Narrative (Disease Narrative)
An illness narrative is the story a person and their significant others construct to give coherence to the disruptive experience of illness or diagnosis and its effects on the family system. In the co…
Life Story Work (Life Story, Biography Work, Digital Biography)
A person-centered approach to care that involves gathering and sharing information about an individual's life history, preferences, relationships, and experiences. In dementia care, life story work he…
Memory Aid (Memory Wallet, Memory Book, External Memory Aid)
A tool or device that supports memory function by providing external cues, reminders, or stored information that a person can reference. For people with dementia or other cognitive impairments, memory…
Memory Cue (Memory Prompt, Recall Cue, Retrieval Cue)
Any stimulus — such as a photograph, sound, object, location, or verbal prompt — that triggers the recollection of a past experience or piece of information. In assistive technology for people with ep…
Non-Pharmacological Intervention (NPI, Non-Drug Intervention)
A non-pharmacological intervention (NPI) is any therapeutic approach delivered without medication, including art and music therapy, reminiscence work, cognitive stimulation, exercise programmes, anima…
People with Dementia (PwD)
A person-first term used in accessibility and dementia research to refer to individuals living with dementia — an umbrella term covering progressive neurological conditions (such as Alzheimer's diseas…
Perseveration (Perseverative Behavior)
The uncontrolled repetition of a response, word, phrase, or action that persists beyond the appropriate context. In people with cognitive impairments such as dementia, brain injury, or certain develop…
Repetitive Questioning (Perseverative Questioning)
A behavioural symptom of dementia, particularly Alzheimer's disease, in which a person repeatedly asks the same question over and over, often within short time intervals. Repetitive questioning can st…
Residential Care (Care Home, Nursing Home, Long-Term Care Facility, Assisted Living)
A facility that provides housing, personal care, and support services for individuals who cannot live independently due to age, disability, or health conditions. Residential care settings range from a…
SenseCam (Microsoft SenseCam, Vicon Revue)
A wearable digital camera originally developed by Microsoft Research that automatically captures photos throughout the day without requiring the wearer to actively take pictures. SenseCam is worn arou…
Shared Reality (Shared Realities)
Shared reality is the experience of a common inner state - thoughts, feelings, or perceptions about an object or situation - between two or more people, established through communication and mutual ac…