Occupational therapy and advanced dementia: A practitioner survey

Aims: There is a gap in research about the role of occupational therapy (OT) in the United States with clients with advanced dementia. The purpose of this study is to explore OT practice with clients with advanced dementia within the United States by surveying practitioners. Study questions addresse...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Megan E Gately, Scott A Trudeau
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2017-01-01
Series:Journal of Geriatric Mental Health
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.jgmh.org/article.asp?issn=2348-9995;year=2017;volume=4;issue=1;spage=48;epage=53;aulast=Gately
_version_ 1818430456279859200
author Megan E Gately
Scott A Trudeau
author_facet Megan E Gately
Scott A Trudeau
author_sort Megan E Gately
collection DOAJ
description Aims: There is a gap in research about the role of occupational therapy (OT) in the United States with clients with advanced dementia. The purpose of this study is to explore OT practice with clients with advanced dementia within the United States by surveying practitioners. Study questions addressed interventions, including frequency and perceived effectiveness, intervention priorities, and barriers to practice. Methods: Survey methodology was employed to obtain the practice experience of the United States OT practitioners working with clients with advanced dementia. Results: Respondents (n = 95) were mostly occupational therapists with 10 years of practice experience, some reporting dual roles as administrators or fieldwork educators, working in long-term care settings. Respondents spent minimal time per week with clients with advanced dementia, providing primarily one-to-one interventions with varied perceived effectiveness. A wide range of interventions were aemployed. Therapist and perceived facility intervention priorities differed. The most frequently reported barrier to practice was client factors, followed by institutional barriers. Thematic analysis of qualitative questions further elucidates the practice experience of respondents. Conclusions: Findings provide insight into occupational therapy practice in the United States with clients with advanced dementia. This study describes interventions utilized with this population, barriers to practice, and perceived effectiveness of interventions. Qualitative entries describe care approaches for this population and challenges to providing care. While this study adds to the evidence base for occupational therapy's role in serving clients with advanced dementia, there remains a need for more research in this area.
first_indexed 2024-12-14T15:33:42Z
format Article
id doaj.art-9501a281cbe049be81e2ecc1174ed04d
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2348-9995
2395-3322
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-14T15:33:42Z
publishDate 2017-01-01
publisher Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
record_format Article
series Journal of Geriatric Mental Health
spelling doaj.art-9501a281cbe049be81e2ecc1174ed04d2022-12-21T22:55:48ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Geriatric Mental Health2348-99952395-33222017-01-0141485310.4103/jgmh.jgmh_41_16Occupational therapy and advanced dementia: A practitioner surveyMegan E GatelyScott A TrudeauAims: There is a gap in research about the role of occupational therapy (OT) in the United States with clients with advanced dementia. The purpose of this study is to explore OT practice with clients with advanced dementia within the United States by surveying practitioners. Study questions addressed interventions, including frequency and perceived effectiveness, intervention priorities, and barriers to practice. Methods: Survey methodology was employed to obtain the practice experience of the United States OT practitioners working with clients with advanced dementia. Results: Respondents (n = 95) were mostly occupational therapists with 10 years of practice experience, some reporting dual roles as administrators or fieldwork educators, working in long-term care settings. Respondents spent minimal time per week with clients with advanced dementia, providing primarily one-to-one interventions with varied perceived effectiveness. A wide range of interventions were aemployed. Therapist and perceived facility intervention priorities differed. The most frequently reported barrier to practice was client factors, followed by institutional barriers. Thematic analysis of qualitative questions further elucidates the practice experience of respondents. Conclusions: Findings provide insight into occupational therapy practice in the United States with clients with advanced dementia. This study describes interventions utilized with this population, barriers to practice, and perceived effectiveness of interventions. Qualitative entries describe care approaches for this population and challenges to providing care. While this study adds to the evidence base for occupational therapy's role in serving clients with advanced dementia, there remains a need for more research in this area.http://www.jgmh.org/article.asp?issn=2348-9995;year=2017;volume=4;issue=1;spage=48;epage=53;aulast=GatelyDementiaoccupational therapyprofessional practice
spellingShingle Megan E Gately
Scott A Trudeau
Occupational therapy and advanced dementia: A practitioner survey
Journal of Geriatric Mental Health
Dementia
occupational therapy
professional practice
title Occupational therapy and advanced dementia: A practitioner survey
title_full Occupational therapy and advanced dementia: A practitioner survey
title_fullStr Occupational therapy and advanced dementia: A practitioner survey
title_full_unstemmed Occupational therapy and advanced dementia: A practitioner survey
title_short Occupational therapy and advanced dementia: A practitioner survey
title_sort occupational therapy and advanced dementia a practitioner survey
topic Dementia
occupational therapy
professional practice
url http://www.jgmh.org/article.asp?issn=2348-9995;year=2017;volume=4;issue=1;spage=48;epage=53;aulast=Gately
work_keys_str_mv AT meganegately occupationaltherapyandadvanceddementiaapractitionersurvey
AT scottatrudeau occupationaltherapyandadvanceddementiaapractitionersurvey