INCREASING ENGAGEMENT IN DAILY ACTIVITIES BY OLDER ADULTS WITH DEMENTIA

• Published in: Journal of applied behavior analysis Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. 107 - 110
• Main Authors: Engelman, Kimberly K., Altus, Deborah E., Mathews, R. Mark
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.03.1999; Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior; Society For The Experimental Analysis Of Behavior
• Subjects: Behavior therapy. Cognitive therapy; Behavioral sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Dementia; engagement; Medical sciences; older adults; Older people; prompts; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; reinforcement; Treatments; Human; Nervous system diseases; Daily living; Activity; Health staff patient relation; Cerebral disorder; Senile dementia; Treatment; Central nervous system disease; Reinforcement; Degenerative disease; Behavior therapy; Behavior; Elderly
• ISSN: 0021-8855; 1938-3703
• DOI: 10.1901/jaba.1999.32-107

This study analyzed the effects of nursing assistants' use of prompts and praise to increase the engagement of older adults with dementia in daily living activities. The multiple baseline design across morning and afternoon work shifts showed consistent increases in engagement by each of the 5 residents during the intervention. These results suggest that increasing prompts and praise by nursing assistants may, in turn, increase the rate of engagement of older adults with dementia.