References
Effectiveness of individually tailored exercise on functional capacity and mobility in nursing home residents
Abstract
Deterioration of physical and functional capacities is often seen in nursing homes. The present study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of an individually tailored physical exercise intervention on mobility and functional decline in nursing home residents in a 1-year follow-up period. Information on gender, age, education, profession and cognitive status was collected at baseline and at 6 and 12 months of the intervention. The decline in functional capacity and mobility was assessed using the Barthel index. Some 221 participants were included. Results from the multivariate logistic regression showed how residents who never participated in physical activities had a five-fold higher risk of mobility decline compared with residents who did engage for the whole follow-up time. A lower effect was seen in residents who participated for only 6 months. Although dementia appeared to be a significant predictor of decline, a substantial stabilisation in mobility capacity was noted in patients with both mild and severe dementia performing exercise. The findings suggest that preventing or slowing physical decline in nursing home residents is an achievable goal, and even those with a higher degree of cognitive decline may benefit from a tailored physical activity plan.
The loss of physical and functional capacities in older adults, as well as cognitive decline, has been a growing concern, especially in countries with a more substantial ageing population where the demand for long-term residential care has increased (Buckinx et al, 2015; Prince et al, 2015; Reilly et al, 2015; United Nations, 2016). Physical and functional decline pose a particular challenge in nursing homes, where residents often experience a deterioration in health and growing dependence in activities of daily living (Grönstedt et al, 2013). To preserve and improve residual abilities among nursing home residents, interventions with proven efficacy are needed (Tolson et al, 2011).
Mobility and functional status appear to be positively influenced by physical exercise: some studies have shown how physical exercise interventions could prevent or slow functional decline in older people living in nursing homes (Slaughter et al, 2015; Laffon de Mazières et al, 2017), although not all evidence is unanimous, and more studies about the intensity and duration of such interventions are needed (Forbes et al, 2015).
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