Summary:
In decades past, staff at nursing facilities routinely used physical and chemical restraints to control agitated and aggressive behavior. The use of sedating medications reduced clients’ function and freedom of choice, and in 1987 the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act mandated the exploration of less restrictive alternatives. As the population ages, therapists working in nursing homes, other long-term care facilities, and in home-care settings will find it increasingly important to discover innovative, chemical-free ways to calm agitated, cognitively impaired patients. Preferred music, touch, exercise and the presence of animals are easy, noninvasive and effective alternatives.
Objectives:
The goal of this module is to update therapists’ knowledge about the use of music, touch, and exercise to calm cognitively impaired patients and enhance their quality of life. After you study the information presented here, you will be able to —
- Explain two physiological effects music has on the body.
- Identify three ways music, touch, exercise, and animal presence benefit patients with dementia.
- State two ways touch can be used to calm patients.
Accreditation Information
Gannett Education is an approved provider of continuing education for occupational therapists by the American Occupational Therapy Association. AOTA does not endorse specific course content, products, or clinical procedures.
Gannett Education is also accredited by the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy (provider # FBN 50-1489).
Continuing education approved by the American Occupational Therapy Association is accepted for relicensure by the state boards for occupational therapists in: Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia.