Planning activities for patients with dementia: a descriptive study of therapeutic activities on special care units.

1. Therapeutic activities for people with dementia have been used to prevent behavior problems, relieve boredom, and to maintain or restore holistic health and function. 2. This study found that subjects spent more time actively participating in an activity when they were able to make a cognitive tie between the current activity and an event from their past through reminiscing. 3. Active participation in therapeutic activities was associated with increased daytime napping but was not related to continuous sleep at night.