Occupational patterns of people with dementia in residential care: An ethnographic study

Abstract

This paper describes an ethnographic study that sought to gain knowledge of the occupational patterns of persons with dementia in a care home and how the residents perceived the group activities in which they participated. The residents' ages ranged from 82 to 92 years. They were seven women and one man. Both participant observation and interviews were used to collect data. Data analysis resulted in an ethnographic story organised around two key themes: (1) the occupational patterns of the residents, and (2) the residents' perceptions of the activities offered. In this story residents appeared passive, playing the role of guests in the care home. Residents were dependent on staff to engage in daily occupations. Interviews revealed that residents perceived participation in activities as important to their mental and physical health and an advantage of living in the care home.

Crafts as Memory Triggers in Reminiscence: A Case Study of Older Women with Dementia

“…There is agreement that elderly people with dementia living in residential care homes often lack appropriate stimulation (Harmer & Orrell, 2008;Holthe et al, 2007), even though involvement in a meaningful activity may improve their wellbeing and quality of life (Brooker & Duce, 2000;Kuhn et al, 2002;Phinney et al, 2007). Kolanowski and Richards (2002) have also found that people's activity preferences do not change dramatically as they become demented.…”

“…According to previous studies (e.g., Hayes & Povey, 2010;Phinney et al, 2007), meaningful activities provide a sense of continuity for people with dementia by affording them an opportunity to go on doing things they have done before, building on what has been an important part of their lives in the past. Holthe et al (2007) have noticed that many people with dementia have lost their inner drive and tend to abandon previously valued occupations. Memory problems, disorientation relating to time and place, and diminished grasp of their current situation may make them passive.…”

“…However, it is often the case that even when people Crafts as Memory Triggers 411 with dementia are unaware that they have completed an activity, they may still know how to do it or they may recall something relevant, and this capacity can be supported by familiar elements (Gitlin et al, 2009;Son et al, 2002). Initiating an action may be triggered by a sensory input such as seeing an object or feeling something (Holthe et al, 2007). A familiar world invites activities to become entextured in the body, or as Phinney et al (2007) have described it, incorporated.…”

An exploratory study of the impact of group singing activities on lucidity, energy, focus, mood and relaxation for persons with dementia and their caregivers

“…The quiz drew from materials used by some of the occupational therapists involved with the PWD in the current project and represented a well-established tool for engagement for PWD. As an oral presentation, it included many of the same fun elements of presentation of questions, informal chat and entertainment involved in the singing activity (see Holthe et al, 2007;also Dowling, 1995).…”

An Activity Program for Older People

“…The 3LP provides opportunities for the participants to engage in activities that are individualised and meaningful to them, minimised barriers and providing motivations. Individualised activities motivates participation and facilitate quality of life (Vriendt, et.al., 2014) and more responsiveness to institutionalised older people (Cohen-Mansfield, et al, 2010;Kolanowski & Buettner, 2008), increased adherence (Findoff, Wyman & Gross, 2009), reduced anxiety in relation to participation (Sung, Chang & Lee, 2010), enables the development of feelings of proficiency and success (Holthe, et al, 2007). Eliminating barriers to engagement and provide motivation facilitates enhancement in self-efficacy and confidence through a reduction in stress which eventually facilitate success in engagement in activities (Shin et al, 2009).…”