COTA’s Dedication to People with Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias Makes a Lasting Impact

PATRICIA “PATTY” FANTAUZZO, COTA/L

Making an Impact for People with Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias

Patty Fantauzzo, a COTA from Colorado, created a therapy program that uses the Abilities Care Approach to ensure long-term care residents who have Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias maintain their highest practicable level of cognitive and physical function throughout the disease process.

Prior to Patty’s involvement, long-term care residents with cognitive impairments at Julia Temple Healthcare Center were less likely to receive skilled therapy services. Therapists and physicians had little insight into what therapy could look like for these residents. Patty changed this mindset. She advocated for therapy that focused on the residents’ remaining abilities rather than their deficits. She believed it was critical to consider what the resident could do or may want to do based on their preferences. Patty’s team of therapists embraced this philosophy and as a result, they completely transformed the therapy department and the facility.

When a resident is admitted to Julia Temple, Patty’s team completes a standardized cognitive assessment to determine the appropriate neighborhood for the resident. Additional assessments are conducted annually, at minimum, to determine whether care approaches need to be modified. Considerations include changes to individualized activity prescriptions and environmental adjustments. Goals are updated to be realistic based on the resident’s current cognitive and physical abilities.

Several program outcomes can be partly traced back to Patty’s work, including a reduction in resident altercations, increased resident independence with certain tasks, and fewer prescriptions for psychotropic medications.