Behavioral dimensions of dementia: A comparison of three program groups in adult day care

The purpose of the retrospective, descriptive study described in this article, was to measure differences in clients in three different program groups in an adult day care center. Recognizing the interaction between the functioning of clients and their physical and social environment, staff at the Alzheimer's Family Care Center developed three differentiated programs to meet the needs and support the abilities of clients. This article describes the setting, client characteristics, and types of programming in each group.Client differences were measured by comparing mental status, agitation, and social accessibility. Significant differences were identified in cognitive and behavioral characteristics among the clients in the different groups. Behavioral differences in the three program groups were characterized by client scores representing:•High sociability/low agitation;•High sociability/high agitation; and•Low sociability/low agitation.The findings support the assumption that clients with dementia are a heterogeneous group responding to unique therapeutic approaches in differentiated programs.