3 Ways Occupational Therapy Supports Dementia Care

Dementia affects nearly every aspect of an individual's life — from their social life and relationships to their ability to perform daily tasks to how they communicate and many others. That makes living with it extremely difficult and often overwhelming. However, those with dementia can benefit from occupational therapy, which has been shown to improve their quality of life and reduce cognitive issues. This is good news considering the surging population of Baby Boomers in the USA since they are more likely to develop the symptoms of dementia as a result of age-related deterioration of brain cells.

Let’s look at how occupational therapy can support dementia care and help those with dementia lead to a higher quality of life:

Reducing Behavioral Problems

Since dementia results in impaired cognition, a person with dementia may struggle to carry daily living tasks, such as teeth brushing, bathing, cooking, and many others. That said, occupational therapy can help them carry those tasks efficiently and safely by simplifying those tasks. This, in turn, will reduce the frustration, embarrassment, or anxiety resulting from the inability to complete tasks that they should be able to perform. This way, OP helps reduce stress and other behavioral problems that people with dementia often experience.

Lowering the Caregiver Burden

Occupational therapists at most neurological rehabilitation centers recommend caregivers following certain evidence-based techniques to improve the way they interact and deal with people with dementia. For example, if caregivers can allow the patient to carry out tasks such as setting up the dinner table or other simple chores without pressuring them to do it correctly, they can minimize conflicts and make them feel more important and engaged. This will result in improved dementia care and better patient outcomes. Besides, this will also reduce caregiver burnout and frustration in both the caregiver and patient.

Minimize the Care Needed

It’s no secret that caregivers do a great job in assisting people with dementia to carry out activities of daily living safely and independently. But if the patients live in a structured environment where the risk of slip and fall and other accidents is negligible and there is sufficient support to help them perform tasks easily and safely on their own, caregivers can have enough time to relax and look for ways to better help the patients. And such an environment can only be provided at neurological rehabilitation centers. This not only helps caregivers, but also those with dementia, as they tend to develop a feeling of independence, which can improve their symptoms of dementia.

In a Nutshell

While occupational therapy is best known for helping people with dementia improve their quality of life, it also reduces the burden through which caregivers often go and improves dementia care for better outcomes.

If you know someone struggling with dementia, consider occupational therapy to help them lead the best quality of life possible.

Author’s Bio - Author is an online blogger. The content is about the occupational therapy.

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leo mizag Joined: February 23rd, 2021