Occupational Therapy Telehealth Applications for the Dementia-Caregiver Dyad: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this review was to examine how occupational therapy practitioners use telehealth to provide services to clients with dementia and their caregivers. Methods: This study utilized Arksey and O’Malley’s five-step process for a scoping review. Results: The review yielded 14 articles. Only one study directly included an occupational therapist as the primary service provider; the other 13 studies focused on services within the scope of occupational therapy practice. Conclusions: The review provided evidence of the effectiveness of telehealth methods to deliver occupational therapy services to clients with dementia and their caregivers. Telehealth delivered occupational therapy services have the potential to decrease caregiver burden, depression, stress, anxiety, and hours of care provided; increase caregivers’ ability to manage dementia-related behaviors; and increase caregivers’ perceived self-efficacy for caregiving skills and exercise, health, self-care skills, adherence to exercise, utilization of respite care, and social support.

Keywords:

• Telehealth
• dementia
• occupational therapy