AN ACTIVITY PROGRAM FOR COGNITIVELY IMPAIRED LOW-INCOME INNER-CITY RESIDENTS

This article describes the development and evaluation of an activity g roup for African-American cognitively impaired residents of a subsidiz ed congregate housing unit who lived alone. Socially isolated resident s became engaged in activities with other residents and began to recog nize others in their environment. The activity group was the vehicle f or interaction, general fitness, and socialization. The process for be ginning such a group, gaining trust, and choosing activities is descri bed. Some qualitative means of determining effectiveness in a sample o f persons with cognitive loss is presented as well.