Memory Interventions and Quality of Life for Older Adults with Dementia

ABSTRACT

In this article we focus on memory remediation activities for older adults with cognitive impairment. Memory interventions that promote retention of simple information, such as a caregiver name, may have important emotional consequences for affected individuals and their families. The inclusion of memory activities in long-term care facilities offers a new and creative direction for programming with potential benefits for clients, staff, and families. We describe recent studies that demonstrate the efficacy of the spaced retrieval technique for improving memory for simple associations in older adults with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD). We present data that address quality-of-life issues for persons who participate in a spaced retrieval memory training program. These data strongly suggest that memory remediation activities should be included as a component of current best practices for memory-impaired older adults in long-term care settings.

KEYWORDS:

• Alzheimer's disease
• memory interventions
• memory remediation
• spaced retrieval
• dementia quality of life

We are grateful to Susie Folse, administrator of Ollie Steele Burden Manor Nursing Home; Gratia Bernard of Sunrise Assisted Living Facility; and Diane Kelly, director of St. Francis House Adult Day Care Center, a program of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, for their help with participant recruitment and providing space for testing. We also thank Emily Boudreaux and Erin Jackson for their assistance with the research effort.