Treating dementia: the complementing team approach of occupational therapy and psychology

Dementia is a chronic progressive disorder that necessitates an interdisciplinary team approach to provide the highest quality of health care. The purpose of this article is to describe and promote the collaboration of psychologists and occupational therapists as key interdisciplinary team members. Multiple sources were referenced to develop and describe an interdisciplinary team model. Occupational therapists possess skills in understanding function, maximizing residual strengths, defining small changes, modifying the environment, and developing caregiver strengths and compensations. These skills can complement the skills of psychologists in understanding behavior and emotion, developing behavioral interventions, supporting team development, and providing psychosocial support to caregivers.