Effectiveness of an Intervention to Improve Occupational Performance in Dementia

Abstract

The Model of Human Occupation was used as a conceptual model for an intervention program to support performance of activities of daily living in four patients with dementia at varying stages of development. The program focused on relatively well preserved functions in dementia (e.g., motor skills, procedural memory). Other important features included (a) the provision of environmental support, and (b) the consideration of subjects' habits and motivation. Intervention-related gains were evaluated using parts of the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) instrument and an assessment of the amount of support required for task performance. The results showed some intervention-related gains in three of four patients. The gains were parallelled by a decrease in the amout of support required for task performance. The results support the notion that performance of everyday activities in dementia may be enhanced with proper intervention.

Keywords

activities of daily living cognition intervention preserved skills Model of Human Occupation

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