Dementia Intervention Essay

immediately after incorrect responses. Results suggesting the efficacy of spaced retrieval techniques were evident in five of the seven participants. Some of the participants were able to recall their therapist’s name, while others remembered their room numbers and compensatory strategies for therapy goals. One participant even retained information four weeks after his last therapy session. In addition, some of the participants demonstrated retained memory in their living environments outside of their therapy sessions.
Another intervention method to help patients with dementia is the use of memory books (Mahendra, 2001) or memory wallets. Memory books and wallets provide visual and written aids to help individuals independently communicate more effectively. They can be used to help remember orientation, loved ones, and to communicate personal wants and needs. Memory books and wallets are also useful tools that can provide opportunities for pride and enhanced self-esteem, a distraction …show more content…
Maria Montessori first developed this approach to teach children social and cognitive skills in a functional and structured environment (Mahendra, 2001). When using this technique while working with persons with dementia, the patient is given stimulating, structured task and encouraged to describe the task within a social interaction. Elliot (2007) states that Montessori-based treatment and programming aims to rehabilitate and restore functions by finding strengths within the individual and creating goals that will retain or reestablish daily functions. As well, Montessori-based treatment principles engage the individual in meaningful daily activities to help stimulate interests and engagement. Elliot (2007), also suggests that keeping an individual’s interest by creating activities specifically for him or her, will give the individual a new sense