Development of an instrument to measure attitudes of physical therapy providers working with people with dementia.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study investigated the factor structure of an instrument to measure attitudes and beliefs of how physical therapist (PT) practitioners perceive working with people with a dementia disorder.

METHODS

A survey was mailed to every skilled nursing facility in Indiana (n = 495) for completion by a PT or physical therapist assistant. The survey was developed and included whether the severity of Alzheimer's disease (AD) impacts the attitudes of physical therapy practitioners.

RESULTS

Of the 12 attitudinal questions, 11 were significant (P < .001) concerning how the severity of a diagnosis of AD (early, middle, and late) impacts attitudes of people in physical therapy practice. Principal component analysis identified 3 factors with Eigen values of 3.3 or higher accounting for 43% of the cumulative variance. These factors include professional competence, resources, and conscientiousness.

CONCLUSION

This brief instrument could serve as an assessment tool to determine whether PT practitioners exhibit therapeutic nihilism when working with people with a dementia disorder.