Nambour Hospital’s Cognitive Assessment Unit Facilitates Contentment through Meaningful Activity

Identifying effective, non-pharmacological interventions for dementia and delirium can be difficult. In an effort to offer such services Nambour developed a therapeutic activity program in their Cognitive Assessment and Management Unit (CAMU).

12 hours of Occupational Therapy (OT) per week (grant funded) was provided on Tuesdays and Thursdays (9am-3.30pm). A range of group and individual activities were offered based on patients' identified interests. Example activities included: walks outside, gardening/picking flowers for dining tables, cooking, exercise groups and sports (eg. indoor golf putting, ten pen bowls) and music and singing.

As result mean escalation rates were reduced by 44% on activity days (p=0.028) and largely positive feedback was received.