Community-Based Activity Program to Maintain the Role of Patient With Early-Onset Dementia: Case Study

Abstract

This study aimed to understand the effects of a community-based activity program on instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), cognitive function, and depressive mood in patients with early onset dementia (EOD), and to provide basic data for community-based activity programs to maintain the role of patients with EOD. One patient with EOD who visited the Center for Dementia in S city, Seoul, from August to November 2021 was enrolled in the program. This was conducted for 120 min once a week for 8 weeks. The activity program was implemented based on the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO), focusing on solving problems recognized by patients and caregivers. Compared with before and after the implementation of the activity program, the IADL and cognitive function of patients with dementia improved, and depressive mood decreased. As EOD rapidly progresses, active intervention in the early stages is necessary to delay symptoms and prevent the deterioration of activities of daily living (ADL) and social activity performance skills. Therefore, establishing a systematic treatment and system that can promote participation in community activities so that EOD patients living in the community can maintain their social role as well as interventions to delay the deterioration of symptoms is necessary, and institutional support should be provided.