NEWS RELEASE
June14, 2005

Contact: Laurie Jake, ATRA Communications Coordinator
Phone (480) 460-1525 or
Ann Huston, ATRA Executive Director
Phone: (703) 683-9420

ATRA Members Conduct Quality of Life Study for NIH

(Alexandria, VA) ATRA members Dr. Ann Kolanowski, Principal Investigator, and Dr. Linda Buettner, Co-Principal Investigator have been awarded a considerable grant for a four year project to examine how to “prescribe RT interventions” for behavioral problems in residents with dementia. The project will be Interdisciplinary: including both nursing and recreational therapy in its approach. The 4-year, $1.2 million project is titled: “A Prescription for Enhancing Resident Quality of Life” and will take place in nursing homes across Pennsylvania.

Former ATRA board member Dr. Buettner explained the importance of the research, “This (research) is particularly relevant since so many of the behavioral medications have been recognized as detrimental to people with dementia, making it vital to try non-pharmacological treatments first. People don't have a logical and evidence based way to do this. Dr. Kolanowski and I will be designing and testing these methods to assist providers. We hope the findings will lead to consistency in long term care interdisciplinary practice in the treatment of behavioral disturbances. This is the logical next step in the research process to study non-pharmacological interventions and how they can be most effectively prescribed to improve quality of life in nursing homes across the nation.”

The NINR-funded grant will test the efficacy of theory-based activities for responding to the behavioral symptoms of nursing home residents with dementia. According to Dr. Buettner, “This is a very important break through for our profession, the funding and the title. We are thrilled to do this work and hope it will influence practice and policy”. ATRA provided letters of support for the project.

Findings from the project will be reported over the next several years. Dr. Kolanowski, a professor of Nursing at the Penn State University School of Nursing stated, “This project is a wonderful example of interdisciplinary work that NIH is encouraging, and hopefully will be a template for practice in the field.”

ATRA President Nancy McFarlane explains, “This project represents an exciting advancement in the management of dementia. I believe the scope and interdisciplinary nature of this grant can lead to advancements that will make a marked difference in the quality of life for a person living with dementia”.

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The American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA) was founded in 1984 to advance the the profession of therapeutic recreation. ATRA is a non-profit professional membership organization dedicating 100% of resources and efforts to promote therapeutic recreation professionals in health care and human service settings. For more information, please contact the ATRA National Office