Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Promoting Engagement Of Male Individuals With Alzheimer’S In A Memory Day Care, Tara Brophy

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Alzheimer’s and related dementias impact an individual's cognitive, psychological, social, and physical functions resulting in impairments within the engagement of activities. Activities offer many therapeutic benefits including improvements in mood, alertness, communication, socialization, sleep, cognitive function, and quality of life. The focus of this quality improvement capstone project was to address the decreased level of engagement in male members within a memory day care center setting through engaging them in male-tailored activities. The project included the development of a website that provided tailored male-oriented activities and educational resources that were shared with the staff to revise their day care activity …

Alzheimer's Dementia And Occupational Therapy, Sofia Demusaj, Averee Ortiz, Laura Swanson

Client Educational Handouts

This handout is an introduction to Alzheimer's dementia and the role that occupational therapy can have in the treatment of the disease. It contains facts, figures, signs, and symptoms of Alzheimer's dementia. It also contains examples of occupational therapy interventions and assessments for clients with Alzheimer's disease.

Effects Of The Tailored Activity Program (Tap) On Dementia-Related Symptoms, Health Events And Caregiver Wellbeing: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Laura N Gitlin, Katherine Marx, Catherine V. Piersol, Nancy A Hodgson, Jin Huang, David L Roth, Constantine Lyketsos

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: People living with dementia (PLWD) and caregivers are adversely impacted by lack of meaningful activity leading to worse symptoms and impaired quality-of-life. There is a critical need to develop effective and well-tolerated treatments that mitigate clinical symptoms, engage PLWD and support caregiver wellbeing. We tested whether, compared to attention control, the Tailored Activity Program (TAP) reduced clinical symptoms and health-related events, and improved caregiver wellbeing, and if TAP activities were well-tolerated.

METHODS: We conducted a single-blind randomized controlled trial among 250 dyads recruited from Baltimore-Washington DC (2012-2016) with a dementia diagnosis and clinically significant agitation/aggression. Dyads were randomized to …

Down Syndrome And Dementia:: A Patient And Care-Giver Centered Approach, Mary M. Stephens, E. Adel Herge, Charmaine Wright

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Space Retrieval Training For Memory Enhancement In Adults With Dementia, Lauren Camenzind, Molly Kafader, Rachel Schwam, Mikayla Taylor, Zoie Wilkes, Madison Williams

Master of Occupational Therapy Student Critically Appraised Topics

The final portfolio contains 8 research articles from national and international journals. Study designs include one systematic review, one randomized control trial with pretest-posttest design, three small-scale randomized control trials, one quasi-experimental study with no control, one time-series study, and one case study. All studies relate directly to components of the evidence-based practice question and will be used to draft new recommendations for implementation regarding spaced retrieval training for memory enhancement in adults with dementia. Seven out of the eight articles looked at the effects of SR techniques on functional tasks. Articles looked at eating difficulty (1), independent use of …

Interdisciplinary Community-Based Support For Caregivers Of Individuals Living With Dementia, Gina Tucker-Roghi, Jamie Escoubas, Renee Tolliver, Sarah Tucker

Occupational Therapy | Faculty Scholarship

Evidence indicates family caregivers of individuals living with dementia (ILwD) are at risk for diminished physical and mental health; which may decrease their quality of life and directly impact their ability to provide care. An interdisciplinary approach to self-care and skill-building for caregivers is provided in a virtual support group offered by Council on Aging in Sonoma County, CA. As part of the nonprofit’s Adult Day Program, the group is offered to client caregivers and has two goals: First, creating a communitybased, long-term support system for ILwD who are agingin-place; second, fostering a safe and supportive community for family caregivers, …

A Systematic Review Of The Efficacy Of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (Cst) On Quality Of Life In Persons With Dementia, R. Babiarz, B. Haden, S. Karlin, J. Mark, A. Williams, M. Ferraro, M. C. Potvin

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Quality of life (QoL) is an established outcome measure of patients with dementia and is strongly influenced by an individual's environment and mood. While there are many outcomes that can be examined with Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) interventions, this systematic review focused on quality of life.

Understanding Participation In A Community-Based Art Program, Melody Taban, Otd, Otr, Gabrielle Kains, Otd, Otr/L, Lydia Navarro-Walker, Otd, Otr/L, Namrata Grampurohit, Phd, Otr/L

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

Objectives

1. To understand the perceived benefits of occupational engagement with art for people with dementia and their informal caregivers
2. To understand the art program’s influence on interpersonal relationships

A Systematic Review: Light Therapy For Individuals With Dementia And Implications For Practice, E. Goodman, Ots, A. Milione, Ots, C. Mikus, Ots, E. Jacobs, Ms, Ots, A. Torres, Ots, V. Vu, Ots, L. Kaiser, Otd, Otr/L, M.-C. Potvin, Phd, Otr/L

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

This systematic review seeks to answer the question: is light therapy an effective intervention for sundowning symptoms experienced by individuals who have dementia?

Implementation Of An Evidence-Based Intervention To Improve The Wellbeing Of People With Dementia And Their Carers: Study Protocol For 'Care Of People With Dementia In Their Environments (Cope)' In The Australian Context., Lindy Clemson, Kate Laver, Yun-Hee Jeon, Tracy A. Comans, Justin Scanlan, Miia Rahja, Jennifer Culph, Lee-Fay Low, Sally Day, Monica Cations, Maria Crotty, Susan Kurrle, Catherine V. Piersol, Laura N Gitlin

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: There are effective non-pharmacological treatment programs that reduce functional disability and changed behaviours in people with dementia. However, these programs (such as the Care of People with dementia in their Environments (COPE) program) are not widely available. The primary aim of this study is to determine the strategies and processes that enable the COPE program to be implemented into existing dementia care services in Australia.

METHODS: This study uses a mixed methods approach to test an implementation strategy. The COPE intervention (up to ten consultations with an occupational therapist and up to two consultations with a nurse) will be …

Impact Of Garden Spaces On Dementia Residents: Translating Evidence-Based Research Into Clinical Practice, Angela Ko, Jenna Williams

School of Occupational Therapy Master's Capstone Projects (2016-2021)

The research addressed the following focused question: “Do garden spaces decrease the incidence of behaviors such as combativeness and agitation, psychiatric medication use, depression, falls, cognitive decline, and sleep disturbance in clients with dementia in a residential facility?” The research team collaborated with staff at a skilled nursing facility in an urban area of the Pacific Northwest. Appraisal of existing research revealed multiple potential benefits of residents’ with dementia utilizing garden spaces for wandering and/or therapeutic activities. Based on these findings, the research team recommended implementation of an on-site garden. To support the implementation of these findings, the research team …

Dementia In The Context Of Disability, Rosanne Dizazzo-Miller, Fredrick D. Pociask

Department of Health Care Sciences

Patients and caregivers often associate dementia with devastation and a loss of productive contribution to society. People with dementia are often depicted as confused individuals struggling through embarrassing episodes, followed by a loss of independence. The burden and devastation of the diagnosis on the families of people with dementia is exacerbated by their assumption of the role of caregiver with inadequate preparation or training. Disability scholars, in contrast, offer physical and occupational therapists a nontragic view of disability that recognizes the importance of countering the stigma and discrimination that too often accompany dementia. This case example of a woman diagnosed …

Dementia And The Role Of Occupational Therapy: American Occupational Therapy Association Fact Sheet, Regula H. Robnett

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

Dementia results from impaired cognition, due to damage to the brain. The majority of dementia cases (60% to 80%) are classified as Alzheimer’s disease (Alzheimer’s Association, n.d.). The signs of dementia generally include, but are not limited to, decreased short term memory, decreased problem solving skills, decreased perceptual skills, and personality changes. The onset of dementia is gradual, and the course of the disease spans several years or more. In Alzheimer’s disease, the person progresses through several stages that roughly coincide with reverse developmental levels, with those in the final stages being completely dependent on others. Occupational therapy practitioners, through …

Providing Services To Family Caregivers At Home: Challenges And Recommendations For Health And Human Service Professions, Susan Toth-Cohen, Laura N. Gitlin, Mary Corcoran, Susan Eckhardt, Pamalyn Kearney, Rosalyn Lipsitt

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

The home represents a relatively new arena for practice for most service providers, especially those working with families of persons with dementia. This article describes four key factors to consider when working with caregivers of persons with dementia in their homes. The authors also discuss seven common challenges of service provision in the home and recommend strategies for addressing these challenges.

Role Perceptions Of Occupational Therapists Providing Support And Education For Caregivers Of Persons With Dementia., Susan Toth-Cohen

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: This pilot study explored occupational therapists' perceptions of their roles as interventionists providing education and support for caregivers of persons with dementia. The intervention was provided in caregivers' homes as part of a larger funded study.

METHOD: Interviews were conducted with four occupational therapists to elicit their reflections on practice and their views on occupational therapy services on the basis of their experiences providing support and education for caregivers in the funded study.

RESULTS: Key themes consisted of the contrasts between the therapists' roles in the study and their customary practices and the professional and personal impact of their …

Gender Differences In Dementia Management Plans Of Spousal Caregivers: Implications For Occupational Therapy., Mary A. Corcoran

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

Occupational therapists treating older people with Alzheimer disease know that they must also consider the others who are affected by the disease, the informal caregivers. Intervention is most effective when it enables both the impaired person and the primary caregiver to manage the secondary symptoms of dementia. Unfortunately, little is understood about how caregivers approach and carry out their tasks and about why male and female caregivers respond differently to their caregiving role in terms of depression, burden, stress, and substance abuse. This paper discusses the effects of gender on dementia management plans of spousal caregivers. Husbands and wives have …

Dementia Management: An Occupational Therapy Home-Based Intervention For Caregivers., Mary A. Corcoran, Laura N. Gitlin

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

This paper describes an occupational therapy intervention designed for family caregivers of persons with dementia. The intervention, based on the framework of a competence-environmental press model and the principle of collaboration, was implemented during 5 home visits. Each visit was designed to build caregiving skills through collaboration in identifying problem areas, developing and implementing environmental strategies, and modifying management approaches. A case vignette illustrates the therapeutic process and outcomes. The theoretical rationale and structure of the intervention and innovative documentation for evaluation of the theoretic process are also presented.