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Health Differences Across the Lifespan 2 Study Guide of 136 (lacing shoes, buttoning shirts). Physical therapy enhances occupational therapy by focusing on the gross motor function (walking, sitting, and standing). Together these therapies can be valuable to patients with early and mid-stage Dementias and Parkinson’s disease since they help with fine and gross motor abilities, lower the risk for falls, and help the patient to engage in self-care activities for as long as possible. Recreational therapy focuses on the pleasurable activities that enhance a patient’s well-being. Here activities are planned to help patient’s focus their excess energy and express their fears, hopes, and dreams through drawing, painting, and other creative avenues. Other forms of recreational therapy are creative art therapy and movement therapy based on exercise and dance. These therapies may help schizophrenic patients who need to re-channel anxiety and agitation that can lead to delusions and hallucinations. Speech therapy involves more than working on language skills. It also focuses on problems of dysphagia and swallowing abilities. The speech therapist will work with the dietician to ensure the patient’s food and beverages are of the appropriate consistency. Dysphagia evaluations are often needed in patients with late-stage Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, or Parkinson’s disease. Reminiscing Therapy Also known as life review therapy, it is a form of treatment that can be usedwith individuals or groups in both home and institutional settings. The focus is to help people remember their pasts by sharing positive memories of life events. This helps to decrease present feelings of depression and enhance self-concept (self-esteem). It is particularly useful for elderly people who are experiencing depression as well as for older people with mild to moderate confusion. Relaxation Techniques Research has shown that when a person relaxes, certain physiologic responses take place. These include decreased heart rate, decreased respiratory rate, decreased blood pressure, and decreased muscle tension. This response helps to decrease overall stress and anxiety. Deep breathing and visualization are some techniques employed to help people relax. Biofeedback is a process where one learns to control their own autonomic responses by monitoring vital signs in response to relaxation efforts. Relaxation therapy can be particularly useful in patients with panic disorder, schizophrenia, and eating disorders. Remotivation Therapy This is a type of group therapy designed to help re-socialize people who are apathetic and have regressive behaviors. The goal is to drawpatients out of a regressed and apathetic state and help them to appreciate the present state of reality. The use of objects or props that the patients can see, touch, smell, hear, and taste helps patients face the present reality of the object and perhaps stimulate past pleasant experiences associated with the object. Cognitive Therapy This therapy is based on the assumption that people’s behaviors are a response to their perception of the world around them. The purpose is to help patients identify their feelings, attitudes, thoughts, and ©2018 Achieve Page 34