Dementia Care from an Occupational Therapy Perspective for CICOA: Aging & In-Home Solutions

Abstract

Dementia is a growing condition among many seniors all over the world. This condition impacts not only individuals with the diagnosis but also their family caregivers. The numbers of seniors with dementia being cared for by family members within their homes are drastically increasing. Having the appropriate education and training about how to care for loved ones with dementia is crucial to the health and well-being of individuals with dementia and their caregivers. A literature review was conducted in order to explore the most current research regarding occupational therapy and how it relates to supporting individuals with dementia and their caregivers. This information was used to determine the gaps in caring for this population and to aid program development and implementation for a doctoral capstone project. Twenty articles were appraised and included in this review based on relevance to the project’s purpose, focus, and goals. The occupational therapy student used the information collected throughout her literature review to create evidence-based material regarding dementia care for staff members at her capstone site placement to strengthen their knowledge regarding dementia care from an occupational therapy perspective to assist them in providing specialized education to caregivers.