Home Health & Hospice Week

OT helps patients stay at home. It's no news that occupational therapy can benefit older patients suffering from dementia, but a recent study shows that OT can also aid senior caregivers. Research published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry tested an occupational therapy home intervention, the Tailored Activity Program (TAP), which systematically evaluates and tailors activities to individual capabilities and trains families in setting up and using activities in daily care. TAP reduced behaviors that trigger nursing home placement and the amount of time families spent supervising and providing care, the American Occupational Therapy Association says in a release. "Our research shows that occupational therapists play a critical role in the care of individuals with dementia and their family caregivers," said Laura N. Gitlin, director of the Jefferson Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health and professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Thomas Jefferson University. "Occupational [...]