Lindsey Roarx, OTS ASOT 2015 Vision in Action Conference

 Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia.  In 2014 an estimated 5.2 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s disease.  Most people are diagnosed at age 65 or older. Common Symptoms Memory loss Problem solving Difficulty completing familiar tasks Confusion Withdrawal from social activities Changes in mood and personality Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain's nerve cells, or neurons, resulting in loss of memory, thinking and language skills, and behavioral changes.

 What are the most effective OT interventions to promote occupational performance for elderly adults with Alzheimer’s?

 Multisensory approach (Heyn,2003)  Walking program (Venturelli, Scarsini, & Schena, 2011) Aerobic exercises Strength- Training

 Music therapy (Ledger & Baker,2007)  Aromatherapy (Jimbo, Kimura, Taniguchi, Inoue, & Urakami,2009)

 Non-aerobic movement-based program (Yaguez, Shaw, Morris, & Matthews, 2011)  Behavior-based ergonomic therapy (BBET) program (Mowrey, Pratik, Bharwani, & Bharwani, 2012) Comforting Stimulating games and puzzles

 Providing specific occupational therapy recommendations to the individual diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and their caregiver (Dooley & Hinojosa, 2004) Environmental modifications Community-based assistance Caregiver approaches

Interventions improved…  Mood  Behavior  Memory  Maintained physical and cognitive function  Caregiver burden Promoted…

Heyn, P. (2003). The effect of a multisensory exercise program on engagement, behavior, and selected physiological indexes in persons with dementia. American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias, 18, doi: / Ledger, A. J., & Baker, F. A. (2007). An investigation of long-term effects of group music therapy on agitation levels of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Aging & Mental Health, 11(3), doi: / Jimbo, D., Kimura, Y., Taniguchi, M., Inoue, M., & Urakami, K. (2009). Effect of aromatherapy on patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Psychogeriatrics, 9(4), doi: /j x Yaguez, L., Shaw, K. N., Morris, R., & Matthews, D. (2011). The effects on cognitive functions of movement-based intervention in patients with Alzheimer’s type dementia: a pilot study. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 26(2), doi: /gps.2510 Dooley, N. R., & Hinojosa, J. (2004). Improving quality of life for person’s with Alzheimer’s disease and their family caregivers: Brief occupational therapy intervention. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 58, doi: /ajot Venturelli, M., Scarsini, R., & Schena, F. (2011). Six-month walking program changes cognitive and ADL performance in patients with Alzheimer. American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias, 26(5), doi: / Mowrey, C., Pratik, P., Bharwani, G., & Bharwani, M. (2012). Application of behavior-based ergonomics therapies to improve quality of life and reduce medication usage for Alzheimer’s/dementia residents. American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and other Dementias, 28(1), doi: / Alzheimer’s Association. (2014) Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 10(2).