The Dementia Queen Exploring the evidence, the anecdotes, & the hunches- a rehabilitation perspective
According to The Myers Research Institute, spaced-Retrieval (SR) is a memory intervention that gives individuals practice at successfully recalling information over progressively longer intervals of time. The goal of SR is to enable individuals to remember important information for clinically meaningful periods of time.
Because spaced-retrieval techniques are thought to utilize parts of the brain responsible for non-declarative, motor memory, so it is often the go-to technique for training activities of daily living for folks with Alzheimer’s disease.
I love spaced retrieval! My first goals normally target identification and use of the call bell, use of external cues for safety precautions(wt bearing, use of adaptive devices, keeping oxygen in), recognition of signs related to bathroom and ,if pts are ambulatory, room # through spaced retrieval. After that first wk I typically have a better knowledge of the pt and can set 2 wk goals. When I start doing staff training I teach spaced retrieval techniques and as an interdisciplinary team identify the key prompts/questions that we all need to be reinforcing with spaced retrieval related to safety or any maladaptive behaviors that are happening.
Great to see others using it,
J Brian Smith M.S CF-SLP
Great feedback Brian! Thanks!