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Occupational therapy and advanced dementia: A practitioner survey

Aims: There is a gap in research about the role of occupational therapy (OT) in the United States with clients with advanced dementia. The purpose of this study is to explore OT practice with clients with advanced dementia within the United States by surveying practitioners. Study questions addressed interventions, including frequency and perceived effectiveness, intervention priorities, and barriers to practice. Methods: Survey methodology was employed to obtain the practice experience of the United States OT practitioners working with clients with advanced dementia. Results: Respondents (n = 95) were mostly occupational therapists with 10 years of practice experience, some reporting dual roles as administrators or fieldwork educators, working in long-term care settings. Respondents spent minimal time per week with clients with advanced dementia, providing primarily one-to-one interventions with varied perceived effectiveness. A wide range of interventions were aemployed. Therapist and perceived facility intervention priorities differed. The most frequently reported barrier to practice was client factors, followed by institutional barriers. Thematic analysis of qualitative questions further elucidates the practice experience of respondents. Conclusions: Findings provide insight into occupational therapy practice in the United States with clients with advanced dementia. This study describes interventions utilized with this population, barriers to practice, and perceived effectiveness of interventions. Qualitative entries describe care approaches for this population and challenges to providing care. While this study adds to the evidence base for occupational therapy's role in serving clients with advanced dementia, there remains a need for more research in this area.