Popis: |
Despite their severe and global cognitive impairments, some patients with Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia continue to perform some complex mental activities skillfully. This paper briefly describes the artistic and game-playing skills of dementia patients, presents preliminary findings indicating that dementia patients with preserved skills exhibit slower cognitive deterioration than patients without retained cognitive skills, and illustrates how caregivers and other persons can utilize preserved abilities in the management of agitated and disruptive behavior. |