Page 41 - Petelin, Ana. 2021. Ed. Zdravje starostnikov / Health of the Elderly. Proceedings. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
P. 41
Despite limitations of our research, our findings prove positive effect of the effect of physiotherapy on the mobility of patients with cognitive impairment 39
physiotherapy treatment on the mobility of people with cognitive impairment.
Although, the improvement in the group with severe cognitive impairment was
not statistically significant, we argue with great certainty that individual phys-
iotherapy treatment customised according to individual’s needs and abilities
improves an individual’s mobility regardless of the degree of cognitive decline.
Conclusions
Mobility and cognitive decline are closely related phenomena that affect the
quality of life of the elderly. The demographic ageing and the increase in the
number of elderly people with cognitive difficulties indicate an increasing need
to maintain the functional abilities and mobility of these individuals. An addi-
tional risk factor to reduce mobility is hospitalisation, which is more common
in people with cognitive decline. The inclusion of hospitalised elderly people in
physiotherapy treatment has been shown to improve their mobility. Therefore,
it is crucial to maintain the mobility and functional abilities of hospitalized in-
dividuals with cognitive decline.
References
ALLALI, G., LAUNAY, C.P., BLUMEN, H.M., CALLISAYA, M.L., DE COCK,
A.M., KRESSING, R.W., SRIKANTH, V., STEINMETZ, J.P., VERGH-
ESE, J., BEAUCHET, O. and CONSORTIUM, B., 2017. Falls, Cognitive
Impairment, and Gait Performance: Results From the GOOD Initiative.
Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, vol. 18, no. 4, pp.
335 – 340.
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE INTERNATIONAL, 2020. Numbers of people with
dementia worldwide [online]. [viewed 30 April 2021]. Available from:
https://www.alzint.org/u/numbers-people-with-dementia-2017.pdf
BERGLAND, A., JORGENSEN, L., EMAUS, N. and STRAND, B.H., 2017. Mo-
bility as a predictor of all-cause mortality in older men and women: 11.8
year follow-up in the Tromsø study [online]. BMC Health Services Re-
search, vol. 17, no. 22. [viewed 16 May 2021] Available from: https://doi.
org/10.1186/s12913-016-1950-0
BRAUN, T., GRUNEBERG, C., THIEL, C. and SCHULZ, R.J., 2018. Measur-
ing mobility in older hospital patients with cognitive impairment using
the de Morton Mobility Index [online]. BMC Geriatrics. vol. 18, no. 100.
[viewed 20 May 2021] Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-018-
0780-9
BROWN, C.J. and FLOOD, K.L., 2013. Mobility limitation in the older patient:
a clinical review. The Journal of the American Medical Association, vol.
310, no. 11, pp. 1168 – 1177.
BUCHMAN, A.S., BOYLE, P.A., LEURGANS, S.E., BARNES, L.L. and BEN-
NETT, D.A., 2011. Cognitive function is associated with the development
physiotherapy treatment on the mobility of people with cognitive impairment.
Although, the improvement in the group with severe cognitive impairment was
not statistically significant, we argue with great certainty that individual phys-
iotherapy treatment customised according to individual’s needs and abilities
improves an individual’s mobility regardless of the degree of cognitive decline.
Conclusions
Mobility and cognitive decline are closely related phenomena that affect the
quality of life of the elderly. The demographic ageing and the increase in the
number of elderly people with cognitive difficulties indicate an increasing need
to maintain the functional abilities and mobility of these individuals. An addi-
tional risk factor to reduce mobility is hospitalisation, which is more common
in people with cognitive decline. The inclusion of hospitalised elderly people in
physiotherapy treatment has been shown to improve their mobility. Therefore,
it is crucial to maintain the mobility and functional abilities of hospitalized in-
dividuals with cognitive decline.
References
ALLALI, G., LAUNAY, C.P., BLUMEN, H.M., CALLISAYA, M.L., DE COCK,
A.M., KRESSING, R.W., SRIKANTH, V., STEINMETZ, J.P., VERGH-
ESE, J., BEAUCHET, O. and CONSORTIUM, B., 2017. Falls, Cognitive
Impairment, and Gait Performance: Results From the GOOD Initiative.
Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, vol. 18, no. 4, pp.
335 – 340.
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE INTERNATIONAL, 2020. Numbers of people with
dementia worldwide [online]. [viewed 30 April 2021]. Available from:
https://www.alzint.org/u/numbers-people-with-dementia-2017.pdf
BERGLAND, A., JORGENSEN, L., EMAUS, N. and STRAND, B.H., 2017. Mo-
bility as a predictor of all-cause mortality in older men and women: 11.8
year follow-up in the Tromsø study [online]. BMC Health Services Re-
search, vol. 17, no. 22. [viewed 16 May 2021] Available from: https://doi.
org/10.1186/s12913-016-1950-0
BRAUN, T., GRUNEBERG, C., THIEL, C. and SCHULZ, R.J., 2018. Measur-
ing mobility in older hospital patients with cognitive impairment using
the de Morton Mobility Index [online]. BMC Geriatrics. vol. 18, no. 100.
[viewed 20 May 2021] Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-018-
0780-9
BROWN, C.J. and FLOOD, K.L., 2013. Mobility limitation in the older patient:
a clinical review. The Journal of the American Medical Association, vol.
310, no. 11, pp. 1168 – 1177.
BUCHMAN, A.S., BOYLE, P.A., LEURGANS, S.E., BARNES, L.L. and BEN-
NETT, D.A., 2011. Cognitive function is associated with the development
