Did You Care for the Orchids This Week? Outcomes of External Strategy Group Treatment for People With Parkinson's Disease

Purpose: People with Parkinson's disease (PwPD) often experience cognitive decline, which negatively impacts quality of life and communication. This intervention study measured the participation outcomes of a telehealth group therapy program for PwPD called BrainFit. Participants applied external compensatory strategies to meet personal goals in a group treatment setting. Method: Seven PwPD were divided into treatment and nontreatment groups based on their availability to complete the BrainFit program. Three participants elected to begin treatment immediately—the BrainFit treatment group—and four participants elected to join the waitlist nontreatment group. All participants completed a comprehensive cognitive assessment and an executive function questionnaire. The BrainFit program met biweekly for approximately 8 weeks (16 total sessions). BrainFit participants generated measurable, personally relevant goals using Goal Attainment Scaling. In group treatment, BrainFit participants applied compensatory strategies related to their personal goals. All participants, including those in the nontreatment group, repeated assessments at 1 month posttreatment and again at 3 months posttreatment. At each assessment, BrainFit participants measured their status with personal goals. Descriptive analyses were applied in this case series to examine baseline and posttreatment outcomes. Results: BrainFit participants improved in at least one personal goal from baseline to posttreatment. Two out of three BrainFit participants maintained gains with a personal goal at 1 month and 3 months posttreatment. Cognitive assessment showed unexpected variability within participants. Conclusions: BrainFit supported PwPD to improve in their personal goals. This study built on previous person-centered treatment studies and supported external compensatory strategy intervention for PwPD. This case series design provides novel contributions by tracking personal goals up to 6 months posttreatment and assessing the feasibility of a telehealth group treatment model.