About the Harmony Program

Harmony was founded by Dr. Elizabeth Rhodus, an assistant professor of behavioral science at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Rhodus is a licensed occupational therapist and a researcher with the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging. She continues to guide and grow the Harmony program.

Through Dr. Rhodus’ leadership, this innovative model of care is reaching more families across Kentucky and beyond.

Harmony grew from Dr. Rhodus’ lifelong understanding of how environment and daily routines influence behavior.

As the sister of a sibling with developmental needs, Dr. Rhodus learned these lessons from her mother. She saw how environment, structure and routine can foster development, nurture the brain and create a sense of belonging.

Years later, Dr. Rhodus began her own healing journey after a traumatic brain injury. Her family’s understanding of neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to change and form new connections over time – played a key role in her healing. That experience led her to a career in occupational therapy and gerontology.

With experience on both sides of the caregiving journey – and now as clinician and researcher – Dr. Rhodus has created Harmony to give families a new way to support loved ones living with cognitive challenges.

Harmony is an evidence-based program that teaches caregivers how to use simple, personalized sensory strategies at home. These strategies support comfort, behavior and daily functioning.

Harmony focuses on how the brain takes in and responds to information from the surrounding environment. Sensory input includes sight, sound, touch, movement, smell, taste, pressure and internal cues.

Conditions such as dementia can change how the brain understands these signals. They may also affect communication or the ability to start tasks. When this happens, reactive behavior becomes a form of communication.

Harmony helps caregivers recognize these behaviors and adjust the environment in supportive ways. This allows them to improve daily routines without relying on medicines alone.

Examples of Harmony strategies include:

• Using a weighted lap pad to help calm and regulate the nervous system
• Playing familiar music to ease anxiety
• Adding visual cues, such as colored tape, around key places in the home to support navigation and safety
• Creating routines and sensory-rich activities based on personal history and preferences

Each strategy is tailored to the individual. This makes the Harmony approach flexible, respectful and deeply personal.

Harmony began as a telehealth program delivered through clinical studies at the University of Kentucky. Funding from the National Institutes of Health and support from the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging and the UK College of Medicine continue to make this ongoing research possible.

Through Harmony, caregivers receive training, support and a toolkit to use at home. They meet online for several weeks with a licensed occupational therapist trained in Harmony. Together, they discuss behaviors, strategies and environmental changes to help loved ones thrive at home.

The program has been especially helpful for people in rural communities, where access to health care and resources can be limited.

Research findings are promising. They include better outcomes clinically for adults with dementia, as well as improved outcomes for their caregivers who have received Harmony training. Additional research is underway to expand Harmony’s reach into broader clinical care.

Caring for someone with cognitive challenges brings daily demands and stress. Harmony gives caregivers a clear roadmap for daily life.

The program focuses on creating environments where loved ones can stay engaged and experience more comfort and connection.

The Harmony approach:

• Supports independence in everyday activities
• Helps reduce behavioral distress
• Strengthens caregiver skills and confidence
• Enhances safety and comfort at home
• Promotes relationships built on dignity and respect

Harmony does not replace medical care. Instead, it works alongside it. Harmony addresses daily interactions and environmental needs that medicines alone cannot resolve.

To bring Harmony to more families, the University of Kentucky has developed the Harmony  Certification Program. This eight-week, evidence-based training prepares licensed occupational therapists to deliver the Harmony approach.

Harmony also continues to grow through new initiatives, including:

• A partnership with the Alzheimer’s Clinical Trial Consortium for a large Phase II clinical trial
• Integration into insurer-provided programs for people eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare
• Continued expansion to conditions such as cancer care and developmental delay (Down syndrome)

Harmony is more than a program. It is a way of understanding and supporting the brain. Through research, education and compassionate care, Harmony is helping families find connection, comfort and hope.