Occupational therapists use of cognitive interventions for clients with Alzheimer's disease

The aim of this study was to establish a profile of occupational therapy practice for cognitive interventions for clients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in an urban setting. Seventy-four occupational therapists working with older adults with AD in diverse settings in the city of Montreal were randomly selected and were sent a self-administered questionnaire by mail. Sixty-five (87.8%) therapists responded. Findings indicated that 52.3% of occupational therapists are performing cognitive interventions with persons with AD. Of those, 82.4% report using cognitive rehabilitation, 61.8% using cognitive stimulation and 50.0% using cognitive training. Intervention use varied across settings and differed according to severity of AD. The sessions are usually provided individually and often include the client's caregiver. Generalizability of the results is limited to urban areas, and possible differences in service provision should be taken into consideration. Further research is needed to measure the effectiveness of these interventions provided by occupational therapists and to compare occupational therapy practices in urban and rural areas.