Occupational therapy and dementia care - Laura N Gitlin

Dementia is a progressive, terminal disease that currently affects more than 4 million adults in the United States. This number is expected to increase to 13 million people in the near future as the Baby Boom generation reaches retirement age. Suppporting people with dementia and their families in managing the disease and maximizing their quality of life is complex, requiring a multidisciplinary team approach among health and human services professionals. Although new understanding of the etiology of dementia is emerging with hope for treatment on the horizon, we remain in need of approaches for helping people with dementia and their families in caregiving.

This book presents one approach--the Home Environmental Skill-Building Program, which has been rigorously tested over the past 15 years--and is designed principally for occupational therapists and, in particular, practitioners at the intermediate and advanced levels. In addition, graduate students in occupational therapy as well as other health and human services professionals will find this guide useful for understanding the role and impact of the physical and social environment in dementia care, the strategies that can minimize environmental stressors in the home, and the unique role of occupational therapists in management of the disease and caregiver concerns.