Activity Leader Facilitation of a Rhythm Activity to Engage Persons with Late Stage Alzheimer's-Type Dementia: A Feasibility Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if an activity leader with little to no formal music background could engage individuals with late stage Alzheimer's-type dementia in a rhythm activity following training by a board-certified music therapist. Persons with late stage Alzheimer's-type dementia were eligible to participate if they had a diagnosis staging at a level five or six according to the Global Deterioration Scale for Assessment of Primary Degenerative Dementia (GDS), which was found in the individual's medical file. The activity leader was eligible to participate based on their limited musical background as determined by responses on a questionnaire. Training sessions conducted by a board certified music therapist were designed for the activity leader to develop skills to deliver a structured 12-minute rhythm activity for persons with dementia. Following training the activity leader conducted three rhythm activities with a group of four facility residents. A trained observer was present at all experimental sessions to record engagement responses. Outcome measures included reliability testing. The measure of reliability testing between the trained observer and the investigator revealed a high level of agreement for varying types of engagement (97.9% to 100%). Quantitative data of percentages from each type of engagement for each resident (n = 4) provide percentages that show greater engagement to a rhythm activity than a Bingo activity. Engagement levels of residential participants during a rhythm activity ranged from 0% to 88%, while the Bingo activity engagement levels ranged from 0% to 77%.