Research Week Abstract Book - Northern Health

Aged Care
Aged Care
Does physiotherapy (direCTed towards mobility) improve funCTion in
older people with dementia?
Simon S, Wortman H, Lenarcic C, Ostberg C, Lawler K.
Background
Dementia is highly prevalent in the growing population of elderly clients seen across the health care continuum by
physiotherapists. Rehabilitation can be challenging due to the large spectrum of pyramidal and extrapyramidal signs,
cognitive, communication and behavioral problems associated with the disease.
Aim
To review whether physiotherapy is effective in improving function for patients with dementia
Methodology
A literature review of articles published on CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PSCYINFO. Dementia was searched with synonyms
for mobility and exercise. Participants were over 65 year olds with dementia. Physiotherapy intervention included 1:1 or
group therapy that was either exercise of functionally-based. Articles selected required outcomes to be related to physical
impairment or reduced mobility. Articles were excluded if the subjects had acquired brain injuries, intellectual disabilities, or
delirium in the absence of dementia; if outcomes were focused exclusively on cognition or behavior, or if intervention was
exclusively pharmaceutical.
Results
Physiotherapy can be effective in clients with dementia. Therapy should be functional, use simple commands and
include visual demonstration. Therapy was most effective when facilitated by clinicians regularly in a repetitive, structured
environment. These clients may require a longer period of time to improve. There was no evidence suggesting physiotherapy
was detrimental. Quality of the evidence was low.
Conclusion
Physiotherapy can be beneficial to clients with dementia. Functional based assessment and treatment were shown as most
effective. Cognitively impaired clients can achieve results similar to cognitively intact clients, but may require a longer length
of stay.
11