HOW SHOULD TOILETS BE LABELED FOR PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA

A mailed survey of 28 residential facilities for ambulant people with dementia questioning the types of labelling of residents' toilets yiel ded 24 replies: 42% (10) had no labelling, ''Toilet'' was used in 50% and ''Male'' or ''Female'' was used in 8%. The survey was followed by asking elderly people in an acute medical hospital ward and in an aged care residential complex their preferences for toilet word and symbol labelling. There were 21 elderly people with normal cognition, 11 peo ple with mild dementia and 16 people with moderate dementia. The inter national symbol was preferred by people with normal cognition or mild dementia but a symbol more representative of a toilet was preferred by people with moderate dementia (p<0.05). ''Ladies'' or ''Gents'' was t he word most preferred by people with normal cognition. ''Toilet'' was the word preferred by people with moderate dementia (p<0.05). We reco mmend the use of the word ''Toilet'' accompanied by a picture of a toi let for labelling toilet doors for people with dementia.