IDENTIFICATION AND MEASUREMENT OF PRODUCTIVE BEHAVIORS IN SENILE DEMENTIA OF THE ALZHEIMER-TYPE

Caregivers of 106 individuals with senile dementia of the Alzheimer ty pe (SDAT) were administered the Functional Behavior Profile (FBP) as p art of a caregiver assessment battery. Three factors - task performanc e, problem solving, and social interaction - accounted for 70.6% of th e variance. Analysis yielded a reliable and valid assessment that docu ments the observable productive behaviors of a person with SDAT. Signi ficant differences across the stages of the disease were observed. The FBP can serve as a guide for individualized caregiving strategies by helping the caregiver focus on the presence of productive behaviors us eful in managing the impaired person.