Authors:
Catherine Verrier Piersol, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, is Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, and Director, Jefferson Elder Care, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA
Lou Jensen, OTD, OTR/L, is Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, Creighton University, Omaha, NE
Deborah Lieberman, MSHA, OTR/L, FAOTA, is Director, Evidence-Based Practice Project, and Staff Liaison, Commission on Practice, American Occupational Therapy Association, Bethesda, MD
Marian Arbesman, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, was Methodology Consultant, Evidence-Based Practice Project, American Occupational Therapy Association, Bethesda, MD. She is now President, ArbesIdeas, Williamsville, NY, and Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Science, University at Buffalo, NY
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify common behaviors and occupational performance difficulties that may be evident in people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
2. Based on the evidence, list occupational therapy interventions that have been shown to be effective for people with Alzheimer’s disease.
3. Understand how the evidence applies to sound occupational therapy clinical practice. Use the evidence to obtain relevant information and guide clinical decision-making when working with people with Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions.
CE Find Key Words: Alzheimer’s disease, activities of daily living, caregiver, home visits, safety, self-care, sleep, agitation
Learning Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants
Content Focus: Category 1: Domain of OT; Category 2: OT Process: Intervention
Reference Information:
Piersol,C.V., Jensen,L., Lieberman, D. & Arbesman, M. (2017). Occupational Therapy Interventions for People With Alzheimer’s Disease. Am J Occup Ther 72(1):7201390010p1-7201390010p6. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2018.721001.