Harmony: Grounded in Science, Proven through Clinical Trials
The Harmony program at the University of Kentucky was created from real-world experience, tested through research, and built with daily life in mind.
While much of cognitive care focuses on diagnosis and medical treatment, individuals and families live with its everyday realities – managing routines, environments and moments that shape how each day feels.
Harmony is an innovative, evidence-based program developed and tested through clinical trials at the University of Kentucky. Grounded in occupational therapy, it is a behavioral intervention that integrates neuroscience and behavioral science. The goal of Harmony is to empower adults living with cognitive impairment to age at home with dignity.
How the brain processes the world
Sounds, light, movement and physical space shape how a person understands what is happening around them. When signals from the environment become difficult for the brain to sort through, everyday activities can become harder.
Conditions that impair sensory processing (like Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and conditions such as autism) change how the brain takes in and organizes information.
This change does not mean a person has lost interest in participating in activities. It often means the environment no longer supports how the brain processes information.
Research in neuroscience and occupational therapy points to the role sensory input plays in daily function. Touch, movement, visual contrast and the environment all affect how the nervous system responds to the world. When environmental signals (also referred to as cues) are clearer and more supportive, everyday tasks often go more smoothly.
Harmony puts science into practice in ways caregivers can use at home. Through ongoing clinical studies of the Harmony program, researchers at UK work directly with people living with dementia and the ones who care for them.
The program provides training, tools and personalized guidance for caregivers. By shaping the environment with the right cues, it is possible to promote calm, support behavioral regulation and create moments of comfort. This approach benefits both the person receiving care and their caregiver, helping restore a sense of harmony in daily routines.
What ‘evidence-based’ means
When people describe a program as “evidence-based,” they mean it draws on established scientific principles and has been tested through structured research.
Researchers at UK – in partnership with the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging – have developed and evaluated Harmony through formal clinical trials supported by federal funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Outside academic medicine, this level of support signals that national reviewers have evaluated the work and that it meets established standards for study design and oversight.
Dr. Elizabeth Rhodus, an assistant professor of behavioral science at the University of Kentucky, a licensed occupational therapist and a researcher with the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, founded the Harmony program. She has led three NIH-funded clinical trials evaluating the approach for use with dementia patients.
The research does not aim to change the diagnosis. Instead, the studies focus on daily function. Even when decline is expected, the trials improved daily activities such as bathing and dressing and reduced caregiver stress.
Why non-medication approaches matter
Medication plays an important role in caring for someone who has lost cognitive function. In some cases, it can help ease agitation or certain symptoms. But it is only one piece of the puzzle.
Non-medication approaches can help fill the gap in care, playing a critical role in supporting health, well-being and everyday activities. The focus becomes daily routines, the home environment and carrying out activities like getting dressed, bathing or eating meals.
Used alongside medical care, the Harmony program addresses what happens between appointments. It focuses on the ordinary moments that shape people’s relationships and daily lives.
Harmony translates research into guidance caregivers can use. The approach emphasizes observation, behavioral pattern recognition and thoughtful changes to the environment.
Harmony grounds its work in rigorous science. It applies that science in practical ways.
By connecting research to daily care, Harmony supports families with both evidence and compassion.
More about the research
- Initial proof of concept trial (NIH/NIA T32AG057461; clinicaltrials.gov NCT04555616) - Feasibility of Telehealth Occupational Therapy for Behavioral Symptoms of Adults With Dementia: Randomized Controlled Trial
- Rural caregiver-based telehealth feasibility trial (Pilot study under NIH/NIA P30 AG064200; clinicaltrials.gov NCT05202223) - Creating harmony at home via environmental cueing: A feasibility trial of a non-pharmacological intervention for rural caregivers of persons with dementia
If you’re interested in collaborating in this research, email engagedaging@uky.edu.
