How familiar tasks can enhance concentration in Alzheimer's disease patients

Abstract

The issue of purposeful therapeutic activities for AD patients has largely been ignored in the literature. Continuity with pre-morbid life patterns and reinforcement of repetitive sequential behaviors may help support the remaining abilities of some AD patients and encourage active participation in the environment. This study examines residents' behaviors while working on familiar or unfamiliar tasks and measures how decision making affects attention. The results indicate that residents expressed preferences for different tasks and demonstrated the ability to sustain attention to a chosen task throughout the trial period. The suggestion is made that there is a need for greater integration of meaningful activities into the daily schedules of some residents in earlier stages of the disease.