Wayfinding. Memory. Is memory more than a Facebook reel from the past? Is wayfinding more than the ability to navigate across some terrain? M. R. O’Connor, in her book, Wayfinding, discusses the terms and how they are intertwined. In one sense, memory could be called a narrative of our wayfinding history, what happened in the context of when and where.
“When we move through space, we perceive the environment and direct our attention to its characteristics, collecting information or, as some would describe it, building internal representations or maps of space that are “placed” in our memory. Out of the stream of information generated by our movement we create origins, sequences, paths, routes and destinations that make up narratives with starting points, middles, and arrivals.” (p.6) (emphasis mine)
It turns out that wayfinding and memory are both processed by the same part of the brain, the hippocampus. So, it is no surprise then that memory and wayfinding are both affected by dementia, which often affects the hippocampus early on in Alzheimer’s Disease. Mr. Smith gets lost while driving to the nearby grocery store and ends up on the far side of town. Mrs. Smith keeps wandering the halls of her facility, looking for the door that will let her cross the parking lot to her house that she is sure is right next door.
The hippocampus can be developed through use. Taxi drivers in London famously have larger hippocampi than you or I because they rely on it to navigate the labyrinth of old streets. But the hippocampus can also suffer from the “use it or lose it” phenomenon. Does my relying on GPS to find my way around town lead to brain atrophy? Some brain experts feel that wayfinding practice is so important to cognitive health that they are limiting their personal reliance on GPS technology. They don’t want their own hippocampi to deteriorate through lack of use.
Human groups around the world had significantly different ways to wayfind before technology interrupted the process. Using them, they could reliably find their way across the desert, ocean, jungle or tundra. Most of their strategies involved focused attention on the environment around them. Interestingly, some therapy for Parkinson’s Disease uses focused attention on the external outcome of a desired action. It can lead to better motor control for them. Focused attention is more than just having someone tell you that “you are home, Mrs. Smith” or “you are in your own room” or whatever. It can be prompted, but it still has to have an internal source.
I was told that resident wandering/elopement is mostly about them looking for the comfort of a remembered home and family. I’ve also heard that in some disorders, like ADHD, the brain seeks extra stimulation, hence the fidgeting, or impulsive behavior. This book makes me wonder if another reason for wandering could be the brain trying to fill in missing stimuli from the present, the missing parts of a coherent narration of one’s life story.
When residents wander, we tend to rely on redirecting, thwarting, or even restricting their movements. What would it look like in the domain of Activities to intentionally work on helping residents develop focused attention, mindfulness even? Is it possible that focused attention as they move through their present environment could help improve memory? As James Taylor sang about his homesick thoughts, “In my mind I'm going to Carolina. Can't you see the sunshine, can't you just feel the moonshine?”
© Donna Stuart March 7, 2025
O'Connor, M. R. (2019). Wayfinding. New York: St. Martin's Press.
Taylor, J. (1968). Carolina in My Mind. London: Apple Records.
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