Neurocomm: Person-centered approach to dementia intervention

what are two things that functional approaches to person centered care that do not change

1. do not change brain function

2. do not change alleviate impairments

What is person centered care designed to do?

• Foster behaviours that maximize independence

• Increase participation & engagement

What are the 3 main principles to functional PCC

1. To maximize independent functioning for as long as possible

2. To maximize QoL through supported participation and engagement in desired activities

3. To achieve these goals through procedures that are:

   • Personally relevant to the client

   • Trained within functional contexts

What type of approach is montessori for dementia care

innovative

What is the goal of montessori dementia?

• Support PWD in an environment filled w cues + memory supports that enable self-care

• Develop communities that treat individuals with respect and dignity and honour their choices so they may live as independently as possible

What are stimulating montessori style activities that you should thing of

• Think of activities that alert mind by stimulating the 5 senses: sight, taste, hearing, smell, touch

What should the materials in Tx be like ?

• Should be visually pleasing → want pts to engage with materials (e.g. colors, textures)

• Should all provide some level/feeling of success for pts (e.g. sorting by colour vs. size vs. shape)

how many members are recommended for the breakfast club

3-6

What do you do at the breakfast club?

• Meet once per week for 45-60min, to prepare, serve, eat, clean up after breakfast

What are the characteristics of the group?

• Similar level of language ability, sit for duration and be able to perform activities (e.g. stirring, feeding, etc.)

What are the key things that participants improve on in the breakfast club

• Participants improve on measures of language performance, functional independence, use of social communication

• Incorporates key components of communication therapy reported in the literature to be effective and successful in treatment:

  • Home-like environment

  • Providing food

  • Positive reinforcement

  • Engaging in everyday social rituals

Describe the Baycrest Conversational groups

• Pt groups not larger than 5-6 members

• Supervised by one SLP (taking turns)

• Run by trained volunteers (one or two per group)

• Five groups of pts

• Weekly meetings for in- and outpatients

  • 9-10 am - morning preparatory session

  • 10-12 pm - running the groups

  • 12 - 1 pm - feedback session from volunteers

What are information client cards used for?

• Used to orient the volunteers to the pt and their communication abilities

• E.g. Sara, inpatient (LTC) - mild dementia group

Name the 5 main multisensory intervention appraoches

1. dance therapy

2. music therapy

3. art therapy

what is dance therapy used for? Pros? Cons?

• it is typically used to promote pts’ abilities to communicate

• Pros: socialization, physical activity, enjoyment, working on procedural memory (remembering steps)

• Cons: physical injury, physical limitations (but be creative, e.g. can dance in a wheelchair!)

Describe music therapy

• Recognized as a powerful therapeutic tool, with documented positive physiological and behavioural effects, as well as cognitive effects (e.g. semantic fluency)

Describe pet therapy

• American Alzheimer’s Association: contact with animals is a meaningful activity that provides comfort

• Animals can act as a shared referent for meaningful communication

What is AAT?

designed to facilitate spontaneous communication

What are the cons of pet therapy?

• Allergies

• Not liking animals

What is toy therapy?

can help to reduce agitation in individuals who are highly agitated (e.g. some AD and dementia pts)