How Occupational Therapy Helps with Memory Loss

Occupational therapy can help people at all stages of life develop, maintain, or recover the skills they need to perform daily activities, especially following an injury or illness. For patients suffering from memory loss due to age, stroke, or early stages of dementia, occupational therapy provides significant mental benefits as well, helping patients continue to live independent and productive lives.

What is occupational therapy?

Illness, injury, or memory loss can interfere with a patient’s ability to care for themselves at home, complete household chores, and participate in regular daily activities. Occupational therapy teaches patients how to adapt by altering movements or incorporating assistive devices. While physical therapy focuses on improving general mobility and function, occupational therapy focuses on helping patients perform daily tasks more easily, including:

• Bathing

• Toileting

• Dressing

• Eating

• Personal hygiene

• Basic meal preparation

• Home management

• Social participation

• Hobbies

Occupational therapy for adultsMost adults suffer from some degree of memory loss as they age, which can be accelerated if diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia. Occupational therapists evaluate patients to determine their strengths and impairments, and identify any performance areas needing intervention. While full recovery of cognitive abilities is unlikely, occupational therapists work with patients to develop routines that minimize the impact of memory loss or confusion, and create compensating strategies that allow patients to participate in many daily activities. 

Occupational therapy for stroke patients

Memory loss is a common symptom of stroke, but just like exercising muscles can help improve mobility after a stroke, exercising the mind through occupational therapy is a significant part of the recovery process. Occupational therapists also help patients learn coping strategies with the use of visual aids or mnemonic devices, which are creative mental techniques to help remember things. Other strategies include breaking activities into small steps to make them more manageable and developing compensation strategies to participate in activities as fully as possible.

Examples of occupational interventions for memory loss

After conducting a full evaluation to determine a patient’s strengths and impairments, occupational therapists will create a customized program of interventions that often include some combination of the following:

• Health promotion: with a focus on maintaining strengths and promoting wellness

• Remediation: incorporating routine exercises to improve performance and mobility in daily activities

• Maintenance: providing support for habits and routines that are working well and can be maintained to prolong independence

• Modification: ensuring safe and supportive environments through adaptation and compensation

Benefits of occupational therapy for memory loss

With a comprehensive approach to treatment that goes beyond memory-specific challenges, occupational therapy for patients with memory loss provides several benefits. Occupational therapists can help patients manage their home life and participate in social activities. If home modifications are needed, therapists can also determine which modifications are best to ensure safety and optimum participation in daily life. Occupational therapy helps restore physical skills that aid memory recovery and adaptation. Studies have shown that these therapeutic interventions can have a significant impact on mental health and overall wellness. 

Occupational therapy for memory loss in San Diego

At Bella Vista Health Center, our occupational therapists and support staff are dedicated to improving the functional ability and quality of life for our patients in the relaxing, compassionate environment of our 5-Star Skilled Nursing Facility. If you or a loved one is in need of occupational therapy for memory loss following a stroke or due to the onset of dementia, Bella Vista can help. For more information or to schedule a tour of our facility, call us at (619) 399-7920.

When is it Time to Seek Occupational Therapy?

Although the word “occupation” typically refers to a job or career, the definition can broaden to everyday roles like cooking, cleaning, driving, and even parenting. We all have a variety of daily occupations that we don’t think much about until an injury, illness or other obstacle gets in the way of our doing them. When this happens, occupational therapy can help.

Unlike physical therapy, which aims to improve mobility, occupational therapy focuses on performing daily tasks. After evaluating your situation, an occupational therapist will develop a modification plan and/or individualized recovery goals that allow you to resume or pursue your valued occupations. Here are some situations that can benefit from occupational therapy:

1. Recovering from injury

Most daily tasks involve using our hands, which is why proper recovery from broken wrists, elbows, fingers, or repetitive motion injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome is so vital. Occupational therapy can help regain skills such as bathing, dressing, cooking, and gardening. An occupational therapist may also incorporate work adaptations and ergonomic assessments so you can perform work tasks safely as well.

2. Managing chronic medical conditions

Certain medical conditions like chronic pain and arthritis don’t necessarily have a cure, but occupational therapy can help with modifications to reduce discomfort in your joints, as well as introduce adaptive equipment to assist in daily tasks such as dressing, grooming, writing, cooking, and other hobbies.

3. Rebuilding independence after a stroke

Neurological illnesses and injuries often require extensive recovery periods in skilled nursing facilities. In many of these cases, occupational therapy is employed to improve a patient’s range of motion, strength, and use of the upper extremities in order to support the performance of daily living activities. Occupational therapy is similarly helpful for conditions including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s disease, and Multiple Sclerosis.

4. Ensuring independence for seniors

According to the AARP, four out of five Americans age 45 or older wish to live at home for as long as they can, and occupational therapy can help achieve this goal. Many seniors face moving to a nursing facility because their families are worried about their ability to perform day-to-day activities such as cooking and grooming. Occupational therapy can help with environmental modifications (such as grab bars in tubs and showers) that allow seniors to age in place safely. 

5. Helping with memory loss

While the bulk of occupational therapy is focused on physical challenges, it can assist those with mental challenges as well. Occupational therapists can help people with memory less maintain their ability to perform basic daily tasks including shopping and using public transportation. Occupational therapists are also trained to set up home modifications to help stimulate memory and ensure the safety of the patient.

Experiencing difficulty with daily tasks? We can help.

At Bella Vista Health Center, our 5-star skilled nursing facility provides patients with high-quality care in a clean, safe, and comfortable environment. Our occupational and physical therapy programs offer evidence-based, outcome-driven services that are designed to relieve pain, restore function, and enhance health. 
So if you’re looking for top-notch skilled nursing services as well as occupational or physical therapy in San Diego, contact us today for more information about our programs. We look forward to helping you with your recovery, and we’ll be here every step of the way. For more information, give us a call at (619) 644-1000.