Background/aim: There is a growing body of research to support the role of occupational therapy in dementia care. However, little is known about the extent to which this research is translated into occupational therapy practice. This study addresses this gap by considering current occupational therapy practice in the field of dementia care in Ireland.
Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was used to gather data about current practice. Convenience sampling and snowball recruitment techniques were used to recruit occupational therapists. Data were analysed using a combination of descriptive statistics and content analysis.
Results: Forty-seven therapists responded to the survey. The majority of respondents worked in primary care and provided services for people with early stage or mild dementia. Assessment practices were primarily focussed on cognitive screening and functional performance. Limited attention was paid to occupational participation. Interventions typically addressed environmental modification, assistive devices and compensatory strategies. The ability of therapists to apply research evidence to practice appears to be strongly constrained by practice and organisational demands.
Conclusion: There is a need for a global occupational therapy strategy to support knowledge translation in dementia care. At present although occupational therapists are aware of research evidence they face significant barriers in applying this evidence in practice.
Keywords: ageing; assessment; cross-sectional survey; dementia; evidence based practice; intervention.
© 2013 Occupational Therapy Australia.