Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of passive activity care with few movements and to obtain evidence of for practical use in nursing homes and home care of DVD that older people with dementia find enjoyable and comfortable, which can be easily performed by care staffs.

Methods: The examination was conducted by measuring pulse rate, blood pressure, and autonomic nervous activity balance LF/HF before and after watching the video, as well as observing the facial expressions and interest in the video of the participants. Twelve older people with dementia and 12 their care staffs in one group home watched a 20-minute video of daily life and play scenes in the Showa era.

Results: There was no significant difference in pulse rate, blood pressure, and autonomic nervous activity balance LF/HF before and after viewing, but all the participants with dementia showed strong interest in the video for 20 minutes and did not leave the place during the viewing.

Conclusions: The results indicated that the passive activity care using video can be useful for older people with dementia in nursing homes and home care, taking into account the selection of the video of individual preference.