THE USE OF AN IN-HOUSE DAY CARE PROGRAM TO TREAT THE COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE, AND BEHAVIORAL DEFICITS OF DEMENTED NURSING HOME RESIDENTS (COGNITIVE DEFICITS, AFFECTIVE DEFICITS).
Contributors: New School for Social Research (New York, N.Y.)
Published: 1991
Number of pages: 209
Subjects: Psychology, Clinical.; Health Sciences, Mental Health.
Description: An investigation was made of the effectiveness of an in-house, day care program in treating the cognitive, affective, and behavioral deficits of demented nursing home residents. It was predicted that such a treatment would benefit the subjects in terms of orientation, agitation, negative affect, withdrawn behavior, manageability, and self-care. Forty-eight demented residents of a nursing home were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. The day care program, which lasted six months, consisted of six hours daily of coordinated group activities, Monday through Friday, and two hours on Sunday. The groups used methods which sought to provide physical, sensory, and cognitive stimulation; encourage association, reminiscence, and recall; provide an opportunity for the communication of thoughts and feeling; promote socialization; increase reality orientation. Assessments by the primary caregivers were made before the inception of the day care program, after its termination, and one month later. Statistical analyses revealed that both groups had significantly deteriorated in almost all outcome measures, but showed no treatment effect. The interrelationships found among the dependent variables are presented, as are the evidence of a shift effect and the interrated reliability achieved. The significance of the findings is discussed, along with implications and suggestions for future research and for practice. Whether or not the absence of significant treatment effects indicates that the treatment is of no value is considered.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-05, Section: B, page: 2782.

Thesis (PH.D.)--NEW SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH, 1991.

School code: 0145.