==== Front Innov Aging Innov Aging innovateage Innovation in Aging 2399-5300 Oxford University Press US 10.1093/geroni/igaa057.2152 igaa057.2152 Abstracts Session 5790 (Symposium) AcademicSubjects/SOC02600 Optimizing Physical Activity and Decreasing Care-Resistant Behaviors Among Nursing Home Residents With Dementia Galik Elizabeth 1 Resnick Barbara 2 Vigne Erin 2 Holmes Sarah 3 1 University of Maryland School of Nursing, Ellicott City, Maryland, United States 2 University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland, United States 3 University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland, United States 2020 16 12 2020 16 12 2020 4 Suppl 1 Program Abstracts from The GSA 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting “Turning 75: Why Age Matters”630 630 © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America.2020This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Abstract The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of the Function and Behavior Focused Care (FBFC) intervention on function, physical activity and behavioral symptoms among nursing home residents with dementia. This study was a clustered, randomized controlled trial with a repeated measures design in 12 nursing homes. The participants (N=336) were 82.6 (SD=10.1) years of age, mostly female and were moderate to severely cognitively impaired (MMSE of 7.8, SD=5.1). There were a statistically significant improvements in time spent in light, moderate and overall physical activity based on actigraphy and a decrease in resistiveness to care at 4 months among participants in the treatment group. There was no change in mood, agitation, and the use of psychotropic medications. This study provides some support for the use of the FBFC intervention to increase time spent in physical activity and decrease resistive behaviors during care among nursing home residents with dementia. Part of a symposium sponsored by Nursing Care of Older Adults Interest Group.