Abstract
BACKGROUND: The availability of increasingly sophisticated technology has meant that ambulation can be measured with precision over an extended period. METHODS: An integrated circuit tag-monitoring system was set up to measure the distance moved in a dementia care unit in Korea in 2006. Various indicators were developed to measure temporal patterns of ambulation over time, such as the median distance moved per hour and the percentage of hours moved. RESULTS: 12 consecutive days of movement data were available for 8 subjects. The mean age of the subjects was 76 +/- 5.3 years. The median distance walked per day ranged from 206 to 976 m, and the percentage of hours with movement ranged from 28% to 81%. The changes in the activity level during daytime, evening, and nighttime also differed among the 8 subjects. DISCUSSION: The indicators developed appeared to differentiate temporal patterns of movement in demented persons.