INTERVENTIONS FOR PERSONS WITH ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE - STRATEGIES FOR MAINTAINING AND ENHANCING COMMUNICATIVE SUCCESS

This article addresses the challenge to identify and document effective nonmedical communication interventions that will assist persons with Alzheimer's disease to function at their most optimal levels. Both direct (client-centered) and indirect (caregiver-oriented) interventions are described, and the intervention literature from disciplines other than speech-language pathology is reviewed. Emphasis is placed on functional maintenance and prevention of excessive response to disability and learned helplessness. The article concludes with a statement of the strong need for a paradigm shift, from a focus on skills improvement to a broader quality-of-life orientation.