Group Therapy

Question 1

Describe the general idea behind the ‘breakfast club’

Answer 1

• social event that can be used to facilitate social communication
• 3-6 members per club meet once a week for breakfast and talk
• members should be similar level of language ability

Question 2

How has the breakfast club shown positive effects individuals with dementia?

Answer 2

-participants improve significantly on measures of language performance, functional independence and use of social communication

Question 3

T or F: the breakfast club incorporates key components of communication tx reported in literature to be effective and successful

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Pros of the breakfast club

Answer 4

• incorporates strategies that are proven to be successful in those with AD
• addressing physical and social environment, enhancing stimuli, group setting, including home-like environment, providing food, using positive reinforcement, and engaging in everyday social rituals
• participants made more spontaneous humorous comments, and empathetic statements, spontaneous singing

Question 5

Cons of the breakfast club

Answer 5

• breakfast shared experience is culturally oriented
• tends to exclude patients with swallowing/feeding difficulties
• challenging to address different types of dementia
• transportation
• cost

Question 6

Describe the bay crest conversational groups

Answer 6

• 5-6 members
• supervised by 1 SLP
• 1-2 volunteers run group
• 5 groups of patients total
• caregivers involved as well

Question 7

What happens if there is more than 6 members in a conversational group?

Answer 7

it becomes less manageable and less enjoyable for members

Question 8

what are the 3 goals of group intervention for PPA?

Answer 8

1) provide education specific to PPA
2) teach communication strategies
3) provide safe forum for exchange of ideas, practicing strategies and sharing experiences of PPA

Question 9

What are some examples of language-based activities you can do in group therapy?

Answer 9

• fill in the blanks (movie titles, proverbs)
• phonemic and semantic category naming
• confrontation naming
• anomia game
• pictionary game

Question 10

What are some non-verbal communication strategies that can be taught and practiced?

Answer 10

• key wording
• gestures
• drawing
• writing
• facial expressions

Question 11

What were the results off the ASHA quality of communication life scale for the PPA group therapy?

Answer 11

• 2 maintained, 3 improved (not statistically significant)

- perception of themselves have changed

Question 12

How did the scores on the QcCLS compare between the tx group and the control?

Answer 12

• control individuals demonstrated maintenance or decrease in QOL
• tx had maintenance or improvement

Question 13

What were the results of the spousal questionnaire from the PPA group tx

Answer 13

Spouses had improvement in all areas (knowledge of PPA, awareness of progression, comm strategies, comfort level, problem solving, psychosocial issues and preparedness level)

Question 14

What did patients in the PPA group tx say were the most helpful aspects?

Answer 14

• learning about PPA, proper nutrition, research in PPA & managing stress and depression
• feeling understood by others in group when experiencing difficulties with verbal communication

Question 15

What did spouses in the PPA group tx say were the most helpful aspects?

Answer 15

• being with others who are dealing with PPA
• info about ongoing research programs
• learning about the nature and types of PPA
• support form multiple disciplines @ bay crest

Question 16

-Overall group interventions are designed to do what 2 things

Answer 16

• foster social interactions and participation

- reduce behavioural and psychological symptoms that may hinder communication