Introduction: Fifty-five million individuals live with dementia according to the World Health Organization. Caregivers face varying levels of psychological and emotional impact. Practitioners must address the needs of the caregivers while treating specific aspects for the person diagnosed with cognitive impairment. Cultural shifts in adult day care require effective dementia-care engagement. Assisting caregivers manage daily care challenges at home for individuals attending adult day care requires team members adapting to changing health conditions of every person involved in the process. Collaborative strategies to address functional dependence, behavioral and psychological symptoms, and caregiver stress are important to address among occupational therapy, social work, nursing, activity directors, and care attendants. Implementation of COPE® (Care of Older People in their Environment) within an Adult Day Care facility and how families benefited from individualized coaching will be a focus for this presentation.
Participants will:
- Identify collaboration opportunities/cultural shifts to promote caregiver support.
- Examine evidence-based models to implement within dementia-care community organizations.
- Discuss how the COPE® model promoted caregiver wellness within an adult day care program.
Practice implications: Occupational therapy practitioners must skillfully engage with all team members for effective dementia care. Overly stressed caregivers may not be as effective in dealing with the opportunities that dementia presents.
Significance: Use of evidence-based programs such as COPE® can dramatically impact caregivers. Occupational therapy practitioners are well suited to implement caregiver training to meet the person’s physical, psychosocial, emotional, and engagement needs. Practitioners and students will benefit from the information provided in this session.