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