By Virginia Bell, MSW, David Troxel, MPH, Tonya Cox, MSW, and Robin Hamon, MSW.
Health Professions Press, 2008, 229 pages, $36.95

Occupational therapists experienced in the art of planning person-centered and occupation-based activities will appreciate the way The Best Friends Book of Alzheimer's Activities  utilizes the person's life story to anchor the design process. The 149 activities described in the book prompt the therapist to consider valued occupations from the person's earlier years, and while the details for conducting each activity are carefully laid out, the therapist needs to adapt the plan for the person and context.

The following examples illustrate how The Best Friends Book helped one therapist tap into previous life experiences, and once an idea gelled, gather and organize the needed resources for a successful and productive project:

  "Tell Me a Story" proved successful with a group of men residing in long-term care when the occupational therapist discovered their shared life history of raising fox hounds. The act of sharing stories evolved into a deeper group experience as they adopted a fox hound for the facility and subsequently built 'Checkers' a dog house.  The original activity described by the Best Friends authors served as a starting point for more in-depth activities that fostered group identity and social participation.

In a similar way "Mail Call" provided the impetus for a collaborative OT-PT plan as one gentleman new to a facility took up the task of delivering mail and event announcements to each resident room. "Mail Call" supported his therapeutic goals of orientation to the facility, independent mobility and social interaction while tapping into his prior experience of a rural lifestyle.

In both examples Best Friends activity suggestions relevant for persons with memory loss were integrated with skilled occupational therapy intervention to create deeply meaningful tasks.

In addition to facilitating more creative individualized projects, this book breathes new life into activities routinely done in memory care settings. Descriptions of "A Day at the Spa," "Needlework, Scavenger Hunt," "Playing Cards" and "Pie Fest" add flair to otherwise predictable events. A contest to judge the "beauty" of each pie would do much to capture the interest of participants and increase their level of social engagement. Occupational therapists could adapt any of the activities suggested, although that might prove easier in an urban environment given their greater access to cultural and technological resources.

This most recent addition to the well-known series of Best Friends books briefly reviews basics of the model in the introduction. A reader who wants a deeper understanding of the Best Friends philosophy could read The Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer's Care (1996) as a companion to this volume, although additional reading is not required to effectively translate the authors' suggestions into everyday practice.

About the reviewers:
Dory Marken, PhD, OT/L is with the Department of Occupational Therapy at  Eastern Kentucky University.
Teddy R. Ruder, OTR/L is with Salyersville Health Care & Rehab Center aned Progressive Steps Rehab.