Can Occupational Therapy Slow Down Dementia Progression?

When a loved one is diagnosed with dementia or starts showing early signs of cognitive impairment, you might ask, “Is there a way to delay memory loss?” and “What helps preserve cognition?” Many family caregivers ask the same questions, and one practical approach they often recommend is occupational therapy (OT).

Some say it helps their loved ones maintain daily routines, while others believe it slows cognitive decline. How true is it that occupational therapy in dementia can support people living with memory loss? Is there evidence that it prevents the disease from progressing?

What Occupational Therapy Does for Dementia

It’s important to understand that including occupational therapy in dementia care doesn’t cure memory impairment. However, it helps your loved one maintain the abilities needed to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), such as personal care tasks, preserving independence for as long as possible.

Dementia can affect your loved one’s ability to manage everyday tasks. As the condition worsens, their care needs increase, making them increasingly reliant on their caregivers. OT focuses on your loved one’s remaining strengths rather than their limitations. It builds on the abilities they still have and adapts the environment to make daily life easier.

An occupational therapist can help your loved one with the following:

• Simplifying their routines to make them less confusing
• Rearranging the home for safety and comfort
• Recommending helpful tools or aids, such as timers or grab bars, to reduce accident risks.
• Teaching caregivers how to support their loved ones’ daily routines

In short, an occupational therapist helps a family member with dementia maintain essential daily skills, keeping them safe and engaged.

What Studies Say About Occupational Therapy for Dementia

Losing independence is one of the most challenging aspects of Alzheimer’s or dementia, both for the person affected and their family. That’s where OT really comes in.

By focusing on daily function, occupational therapists help people with Alzheimer’s maintain the familiar routines that give their day structure and comfort. These include cooking, dressing, managing finances, and engaging in hobbies.

A review examined 15 studies involving 2,063 people with dementia. Researchers found that home-based occupational therapy led to positive health outcomes for people with dementia and their caregivers.

Compared with usual care, those who received OT showed moderate improvement in ADLs and instrumental ADLs (IADLs). They also exhibited fewer behavioral and psychological symptoms, and overall, experienced a better quality of life.

Those who received OT also required less care, resulting in fewer caregiver hours. As a result, caregiving felt less overwhelming. Caregivers also felt emotionally better as they were less stressed by dementia-related behaviors.

Does OT Really Help With Cognitive Decline?

Several studies suggest that occupational therapy can help people with dementia or Alzheimer’s maintain their routines and independence. For example, individuals with mild dementia who participated in twenty-four 1-hour memory-based OT sessions had better cognition, were less depressed, and had a higher quality of life.

That said, experts remind everyone that no therapy has been proven to reverse cognitive decline. There is no cure for dementia, but OT helps preserve functional abilities for as long as possible. The longer they can stay independent, the better it is for themselves and their caregivers.

What an OT Session Looks Like

OT sessions usually take place at home, where the person feels most comfortable. Like other therapy programs, an OT session starts with learning more about your loved one’s needs and current abilities. After the initial session, follow-up visits focus on these areas.

1. Improving Daily Function Abilities

A therapist examines your loved one’s everyday chores and breaks them into simple steps. For instance, the task of making breakfast might be broken down into three steps: get the bread, toast it, and spread the peanut butter. The therapist will customize a treatment plan based on your loved one’s needs.

2. Setting Up the Home For Safety

An OT assesses your loved one’s home and removes factors that can compromise their safety. Older adults are more vulnerable to slips and falls. Their risk for accidents at home significantly increases if they also have dementia. Your OT may suggest upgrading your home to make it dementia friendly. Some modifications may include installing grab bars in the bathroom, changing mats to non-slip materials, and adding lighting in certain areas of the home. Minor home changes can make moving around simpler and safer.

3. Keeping the Brain Active

Some sessions may focus on cognitive stimulation therap y to reduce complex behavioral and psychological symptoms in people with dementia. Activities may include solving puzzles, sorting or organizing items, and using conversation prompts to encourage meaningful interactions. These tasks keep the brain active and promote social connections.

4. Providing Caregiver Education

Through OT, you can become more involved by learning practical strategies that strengthen your caregiving skills. For instance, you’ll learn how to perform tasks that are part of caregiving, such as how to assist a loved one with dressing and bathing, use mobility equipment and other assistive devices, and modify tasks to suit your loved one’s abilities.

5. Empowering Your Loved One

The greatest benefit of occupational therapy is restoring the independence that dementia patients significantly value. Dementia often affects your loved one’s sense of identity and autonomy. By supporting independence in daily tasks, your loved one can maintain more control over their routine, which boosts mental, physical, and emotional well-being.

How to Get Started With OT

If you want to consider occupational therapy, ask your doctor for a referral to a therapist who specializes in rehabilitation dementia programs. Here are topics to discuss when meeting the therapist for the first time.

• What day-to-day tasks (dressing, eating, etc.) does your loved one find challenging
• What are the goals of the therapy?
• What home adjustments might be needed?
• What kind of caregiver training is included in the sessions?

A good therapist can tailor the treatment plan to your loved one’s needs and goals.

Occupational Therapy Can Complement Dementia Treatment

Occupational therapy for dementia can’t reverse cognitive decline. However, the skills learned in therapy sessions can empower your loved one to perform tasks with ease, preserving their independence and boosting their quality of life.

OT tends to work best in the early or middle stages of dementia, when memory and mobility are still relatively preserved. The sooner therapy starts, the better the chances of preserving independence. Family caregivers who want to support independence among dementia patients can greatly benefit from incorporating OT into the care plan.