Wayfinding
Tips and Tricks
It can be a bit alarming to find yourself getting lost on a route you thought you knew, but usually a little forethought and planning can overcome this. And now Satnavs are becoming so popular, there is a solution for most people.
- Always keep a map in the car or your bag, which you can consult en route.
- Routinely check routes on maps in advance and if you need to, make a photocopy or brief route notes for reference. This will help in two ways. By thinking about the route in advance and preparing the route notes, you will have reminded yourself of the way. You will also have the notes for guidance when travelling.
- If necessary and possible, invest in a satnav. Satnavs can give directions to people driving, cycling or walking. Be sure to check that your attention is good enough to cope with a satnav whilst driving.
Gadgets and Gizmos
AZ Map Company
Geographers' AZ Map Company Limited publishes over 330 maps, atlases and digital maps covering locations within Great Britain.
Streetmap.co.uk
Type in postcode of where you are and the postcode of where you want to be and streetmap.co.uk will show you a route via maps, which you can print out, choosing the scale (magnification) that is most useful to you.
Transportdirect.info
Type in postcode of where you are and the postcode of where you want to be and Transportdirect.info will plan a door-to-door journey for you. This can include walking, buses, trains and cars according to your preference. Each section of the journey will be timed to the nearest minute. It will work out transport connections for you. You can specify what mode(s) of transport you want to use and how much walking (if any) you are prepared to do. You can tweak the route in many ways, for example some journeys can be quicker or longer, depending on your start time and the transport connections. Transportdirect.info also gives information about the nearest car park to your destination. Everything can be printed out.
Other Important Influences
There are a number of outside factors that might make your mental skills less efficient:
- Having an infection, or being otherwise unwell. If this is the case, seek medical advice
- Some drugs given for MS symptom management, including drugs for continence management and spasticity. If you think this may be the case for you, discuss with your doctor
- Fatigue has been shown to affect mental skills in MS. Cognitive fatigue has more impact than physical fatigue on mental efficiency. Repeating the same mental task over and over again is especially vulnerable to fatigue in MS. You may find varying your mental tasks, taking breaks, being rested and choosing your best time of day all help. You are also less likely to employ your preparation and strategies when you are feeling fatigued, which reduces how well you can manage your cognitive difficulties.
Download 'MS Trust Publication living with Fatigue' - Anxiety may affect your mental performance, especially if you are “on the spot” and feeling tense. Try to stay relaxed and work round the immediate block.
- Depression in MS reduces performance on cognitive tasks that need a lot of concentration. It seems to take up capacity (“thinking space in your brain”) with worries and recurrent bleak thoughts. Like fatigue, depression can also reduce your motivation to employ strategies to manage your cognitive difficulties. Because depression gives people a negative view of the world, you are also likely to view your cognitive difficulties as worse than they are and underestimate the effectiveness of your management strategies. If you think that you may be suffering from low mood or depression, seek medical advice.
Professional Help
If your wayfinding difficulties are fairly mild, and just occur on long journeys you occasionally make by car, then a routine for using maps and routes from websites and books may be all you need from your therapist.
If your wayfinding difficulties are more severe, and you have been getting lost on frequently travelled local routes, then you may need help to develop clear map and route protocols, as well as safety procedures for when you are lost.
MS Trust Publications
Cognition Factsheet
This factsheet describes the range of cognitive problems that can occur with MS difficulties with short-term memory, concentration, verbal fluency - and discusses ways to approach managing the various problems.
Cognition problems chatroom Transcript
Transcript of an open forum chatroom where issues raised about cognitive problems are answered by health professionals. The views expressed by participants are not necessarily those of the MS Trust.
More general information about MS
MS explained
MS Explained is a book for anyone who wants to understand the mechanisms of MS and what is causes symptoms to occur.
It describes the immune system and the central nervous system and then explains how MS is thought to cause them to malfunction and the symptoms that result.
MS: what does it mean for me?
If you have recently been diagnosed with MS, you will almost certainly have a number of questions about how it will affect your life.
In our experience, one of the best ways of learning to adjust to your new circumstances is to have access to clear and accurate information. This booklet provides a practical introduction to MS to help you to maintain a positive attitude to managing your MS.
At work with MS
The book considers some of the ways in which MS might affect work, the protection afforded under the Disability Discrimination Act and what adjustments can be made for a successful working life with MS.
Tips for living With MS
A compilation of nearly 150 useful ideas sent in by people with MS. The book contains practical suggestions on saving time and energy, getting around, making the most of benefits and getting equipped and more. There is also an extensive section of contact details for useful organisations.
Living with fatigue
Fatigue is one of the commonest symptoms of MS and can have a major impact on daily life. Living With Fatigue was written in conjunction with an MS specialist occupational therapist and illustrated with comments by people with MS who know what it is like to live with the symptom.
Open Door
Quarterly newsletter that contains articles news and research relevant to people living with MS and their families.
Practical management of cognitive impairments associated with MS
Patrick Carroll, Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist, Gosport War Memorial Hospital, Gosport Way Ahead 2004;8(2):4-5.
Involving Family and Friends
Finding you way around on well-known or even on routes juts travelled once is a skill we all take for granted. It can be unnerving to find that it is no longer automatic. Family and friends may have started to notice your difficulties, because you have been late at social or work events, or perhaps they were with you when you couldn’t find your way somewhere.
You may be able to overcome these problems yourself, using Satnavs when driving and making sure that you have maps with you when you are walking somewhere. But if your family, or your work colleagues, know in advance that remembering routes can catch you out, they can help if an unexpected route needs to be walked or driven.
Research
There are no scientific studies in MS that specifically address wayfinding.