Gerontology
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Hip fracture patients often suffer from pain for several months after surgery. This may lead to physical inactivity and subsequent mobility limitation and disability. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between severe musculoskeletal pain and the level of physical activity in older people with a history of hip fracture. ⋯ Pain is an important associated factor of physical inactivity in older people with a hip fracture history. Pain management may be important in restoring and sustaining the level of physical activity after hip fracture. Further prospective and experimental studies are, however, needed to explore the causality between pain and physical activity as well as the role of pain management and physical activity interventions in preventing mobility limitation and disability among older people recovering from hip fracture.
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The goals of a post-stroke rehabilitation plan are very specific to each patient. The side of the body affected by hemiplegia can influence the rehabilitation plan, as people with right-sided hemiplegia may also have difficulties with speech and language (aphasia). Because of the aphasia, drawing may remain a crucial instrument of creative expression and the clinical case presented highlights how this goal may also be successfully achieved in the elderly by using the left hand.
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Measures of fear of falling have not yet been validated in patients with dementia, leaving a methodological gap that limits research in a population at high risk of falling and fall-related consequences. ⋯ The Short FES-I is a valid measure to assess fear of falling in frail older adults with and without cognitive impairment, yet it may show floor effects in higher functioning older people. All scales, including the Short FES-I, were sensitive to detecting intervention-induced changes in concerns about falling in geriatric patients with dementia.
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Evidence suggests that exercise and some cognition-focused intervention approaches can be used to elicit functional improvements in older people and, to some degree, those diagnosed with dementia. Independently, the two intervention types have been found to improve functional performance in people with dementia. The mechanisms underpinning these improvements come from comparable and diverse pathways. ⋯ Consideration must also be given to caregivers and the education of health professionals as well as to the mode of intervention itself. Further research is necessary in order to discern the most effective types of both intervention models. Provision of combined interventions might enhance the improvements in functional independence in people with dementia over and above the interventions being used separately.