Living well with Young Onset Dementia
The COPE program is a structured, evidence-based occupational therapy intervention designed to help you and your family manage daily life at home — with confidence, independence, and dignity.
10 Sessions
OT sessions, delivered in your home
Evidence Informed Program
The COPE Program is currently being studied across the world.
For more information about the COPE Australia Research Project see https://copeprogram.com.au/research/
Real Results
People living with Dementia and their caregivers both benefit from participating in the COPE Program.
What is COPE?
Care of Persons with Dementia in their Environments
COPE stands for Care of Persons with Dementia in their Environments. Originally developed by Professor Laura Gitlin at Johns Hopkins University, it is a structured occupational therapy and nursing program designed to help people living with dementia, and their carers, manage everyday activities from the comfort of home.
At Vibrant Occupational Therapy, we deliver COPE specifically to people experiencing Young Onset Dementia (YOD) — those diagnosed under 65. We understand the unique challenges this brings: the impact on careers, young families, finances, and identity. Our approach is tailored, practical, and deeply respectful of who you are.
COPE works with both the person living with dementia and their carer as a team — building skills, confidence, and strategies together.
Vibrant Occupational Therapy - Helping You Achieve Your Goals
Home-based & personalised
Home-based & personalised
Sessions take place in your own home, so strategies are built around your real environment and daily routines.
Person & carer centred
Home-based & personalised
COPE works with both the person with dementia and their carer as a collaborative team — not in isolation.
Problem-solving approach
Problem-solving approach
We identify what matters most to you, then co-design practical strategies to address those specific challenges.
Young Onset Dementia
Dementia before 65 — a different experience
Young Onset Dementia (YOD) affects people under the age of 65 and presents unique challenges that older-adult dementia programs don't always address. You may still be working, raising children, paying a mortgage, or deeply involved in activities that define your sense of self.
Standard day programs or memory care services can feel isolating and ill-fitting. At Vibrant OT, we recognise this, and COPE allows us to tailor every session to your life — your goals, your roles, your routines.
Carers of people with YOD often carry enormous emotional and financial weight. COPE explicitly supports carers too, building their confidence and equipping them with sustainable strategies.
