Maintenance of Occupational Therapy for Patients With Alzheimer

The Alzheimer specialized teams provide "occupational" therapy to maintain or restore the functional capacities of patients. After a deep evaluation of the expectations and needs of patients and their caregivers, the therapists propose to work one or more specific activities that were once pleasant through 12 to 15 sessions at home over 3 months. They also advise individuals to optimize home safety. A pilot observational study that we conducted reported a significant reduction in behavioral disorders of patients during the first 3 months followed by stability. According to the therapists involved in this study, the 3-month format is considered too short to produce perennial benefits; stimulation is often interrupted at the end of the 3 months, which creates a break in management that can be deleterious for patients. The main objective of this trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of the maintenance of occupational therapy for 4 months beyond the three months provided for in the regulatory framework for the management of demented patients, Measured by the neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI). The secondary objectives will be to study the efficacy on other clinical criteria but also to carry out an economic evaluation of the maintenance of occupational therapy.