The most effective care begins with forming a connection, which includes meeting clients where they are in the disease process.
The Tailored Activities Program (“TAP”) aims to reduce behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (“BPSD”). This is often what we struggle with as family members and caregivers. How do we engage the person with just enough activity to make them feel loved and needed?
Unchecked challenging behaviors can lead to increased healthcare costs, caregiver burden, and care recipient placement into facilities. There the person living with dementia usually faces pharmacological intervention, which may exacerbate these challenging behaviors or worse.
An Australian trial randomized 180 participants living with dementia by placing them into two groups. One group received 8 home care visits using the training from TAP to train the caregiver and engage with the person living with dementia. The control group received three phone calls with the caregiver about basic dementia related materials from a book, and did not involve the care recipient. Follow up continued four and eight months after the home care visits and phone calls.
The trial was done with individuals living at home or with relatives, outside of formal care facilities.
The results of the TAP pilot trial:
The TAP pilot trial showed overall reductions of incidences of challenging behaviors or BPSD. There were also reductions in other specific behavioral categories as defined by the study:
BPSD overall: F(1,41) = 7.58, p = 0.009, Cohen’s d = 0.72,
Shadowing: F(1,4) = 58.9, p = 0.003, Cohen’s d = 3.10, agitation, Wald X2(1) = 6.0, p = 0.014, Cohen’s d = 0.75
Repetitive Questioning: F(1,22) = 5.94, p = 0.023, Cohen’s d = 1.22
Argumentation: Wald X2(1) = 6.6, p = 0.010, Cohen’s d = 0.77 (Gitlin et al., 2008)
To read more about the study, click here.
In many ways, TAP is like the Positive Physical Approach to Care as pioneered by Teepa Snow. NursePartners has embraced this methodology since the inception of our GEM division in 2015. It builds on the intuitive notion to engage with people living with dementia according to their life experiences and interests. By appealing to their sense of self-worth, we can prevent or mitigate some of the most challenging behaviors.
NursePartners trains all carepartners in the GEM methodology as perfected by Teepa Snow.
All carepartners are trained to engage with clients, focusing on what they still can do and letting go of what they cannot. Even at the most advanced stage of dementia, you can find new ways to say hello and make the person feel valued and with purpose.
To learn more about how we can engage your loved one living with Alzheimer’s disease, Frontotemporal dementia, or another form of dementia, call us at 610-323-9800.
