Can Residents With Late-Stage Dementia Still Engage?

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Occupational Therapy
• Dementia Care

Background:

• Institutionalized individuals with dementia often experience a lack of meaningful engagement, leading to negative symptoms like agitation and depression.
• Meaningful activities can alleviate these symptoms, but implementing them in care settings presents challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the engagement levels of residents with dementia participating in the Reading Buddies Program.
• To determine factors influencing engagement, including interaction, environment, attention, attitude, and activity.

Main Methods:

• The Reading Buddies Program involved occupational therapy graduate students reading with residents diagnosed with dementia.
• Engagement was quantified as a percentage: time spent engaged with the book relative to the total reading time.
• Parameters such as attention, attitude, activity, interaction, and environmental factors were assessed for their impact on engagement.

Main Results:

• Increased attention, positive attitude, and active participation were significantly correlated with higher engagement levels.
• Environmental factors did not show a significant effect on resident engagement during the reading sessions.
• The Reading Buddies Program achieved a very high level of engagement among residents with dementia.

Conclusions:

• Reading interventions, like the Reading Buddies Program, are effective in engaging individuals with dementia.
• This program shows promise in reducing negative symptoms associated with dementia in institutionalized settings.
• Occupational therapy students can facilitate meaningful engagement for residents with dementia through structured reading activities.