Occupational Therapy For Alzheimer's Patients

Occupational therapy (OT) for Alzheimer's patients aids in improving their abilities to execute daily activities. As the independence level of the patients increase, the responsibilities and pressure experienced by their caregivers will reduce.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) has devastating symptoms. In fact, this disease is considered as one of the worst diseases because it mainly affects the mental functioning of individuals who suffered with this kind of disease. The sad thing about this is that AD is a terminal disease, meaning they will have this for life.

Mental functioning of AD patients decline gradually as their disease progress hence they tend to become dependent even on the simplest activities they normally do. But, with the help of occupational therapy, AD patients will develop sense of independence in performing daily routines or activities.

Occupational therapy enables patients to perform meaningful and purposeful activities. These activities involve self-care, leisure, and community activities. OT aims to improve the patients' independence, initiative, and participation in social activities. AD patients, caregivers, families, groups, and other medical practitioners should work hand in hand to become this therapy successful. The development of these factors has a big impact in the quality of life of AD patients, as well as to their caregivers.

Occupational therapists are licensed health professionals that have the responsibilities to plan, initiate, and evaluate the overall process of the therapy. If there are any physical ailments in patients who are undergoing OT, the therapists can design or prescribe devices that can help these patients perform activities involved in OT.

Previous research had suggested that non-pharmacologic treatment could have better effects compared to drug treatment for AD patients. Occupational therapy plays a big part of this non-pharmacologic treatment. Thus, this therapy is a protocol for nursing homes and other AD facilities.

The combination of OT and physical treatment is the primary management for patients with Alzheimer's disease because this treatment does not only help in improving the independence of patients, but as well as maintaining their physical health to be able to do their daily activities.

The clinical gains obtained with Occupational Therapy for Alzheimer's Patients for both patients and caregivers underline the importance of proper diagnosis and management.

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