Activities & Engagement Programming Flashcards

Which validated tool is commonly used to assess activity preferences and quality of life in people with dementia?

Answer: Observed Emotion Rating Scale (OERS)

The OERS captures positive and negative affect during activities, helping practitioners evaluate engagement quality and emotional response.

A practitioner wants to engage a resident who was a former teacher. Which activity most directly leverages this life role?

Answer: Leading a simple group discussion or helping peers with a task

Activities that mirror former professional roles tap into preserved procedural and long-term memories, reinforcing identity and purpose.

What is the recommended approach when a person with dementia refuses to participate in a scheduled group activity?

Answer: Explore the reason for refusal and offer an individualized alternative

Refusal often signals unmet needs or a poor activity-person match; exploring alternatives respects autonomy and maintains engagement.

In the context of dementia care, what is 'procedural memory' and why is it relevant to activities programming?

Answer: Memory for how to perform overlearned skills; often preserved longer, enabling participation in familiar tasks

Procedural memory underlies habitual skills like knitting, folding, or playing simple songs and is often retained longer than episodic or semantic memory.

Which environmental modification supports greater participation in activities for residents with dementia?

Answer: Reducing background noise and providing adequate, glare-free lighting

Reduced noise and appropriate lighting minimize sensory overload and improve attention and participation in activity settings.

A resident with dementia shows increased vocalizations and pacing at the same time each afternoon. From an activities perspective, what is the best first response?

Answer: Schedule a structured, preferred activity during that time window to preemptively address the behavior

Proactively scheduling engaging activities during predictable behavior windows is a non-pharmacological first-line strategy.

Which principle from the MAST (Montessori-Based Activities for Seniors with Dementia) approach is most relevant to activity design?

Answer: Tasks should be graded to match ability, use familiar materials, and allow success

Montessori-based approaches grade tasks by ability, use real-life materials, and emphasize successful engagement over outcome measurement.