Effect of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living habituation due to routinising therapy in patients with frontotemporal dementia

We examined whether Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) improves with routinising therapy for a patient with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) living in a group home. The patient exhibited symptoms of agitation, apathy, disinhibition, irritability and stereotyped behaviour. The care staff experienced long-term care burden and the patient was spending time idly. An occupational therapist, in collaboration with care staff, evaluated the patient and routinised the household chores included in IADL. Consequently, a routine of household chores was established, reducing behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia and long-term care burden, and the quality of life (QOL) of the patient improved. The results suggested that routinising IADL of the patient with FTD reduced long-term care burden and improved QOL of the patient.