The effects of exercise interventions with and without technology for people with dementia

Purpose: The physical inactivity of nursing home residents with dementia, agitation and falling are challenges in daily practice. For a long time there has been insufficient evidence to conclude whether or not physical activity programs are beneficial for people with dementia¹. However, more recent reviews found that physical activity was beneficial in all stages of dementia, looking at physical outcome measures². Concerning exergaming, there are limited published data, and controlled research on effects is needed³. This study will compare exercise interventions with and without technology and look at the ability of these interventions to reduce the risks of falling for nursing home residents with dementia. The pilot study also serves to evaluate the feasibility and practicality of new technology and of simple standardized physical performance tests, preparing us for a large-scale controlled research project. Method: A literature review was conducted to find feasible measurements for predicting fall risk in people with dementia. This was followed by a literature review of fall prevention and exercise. Feasible measurements and experience with exercise programs for people with dementia shall be integrated in new research. SilverFit is a virtual rehabilitation program and is adapted and used for people with dementia. In a pilot study SilverFit will be compared with supervised individual walking in nursing homes. Thirty-two residents will be chosen by physical therapists and will be included after giving written informed consent. In a quasiexperimental design, trained students will execute the exercise interventions with the residents twice a week over 16 weeks. They will measure gait speed every week and will also keep a journal about participant activity. Results & Discussion: The literature review showed that gait velocity is a feasible and valid measure to predict fall risk in nursing home residents with dementia⁴. The standardized 6-m and 10-m walk tests5 will be used to measure gait speed. Some recent studies have found that physical rehabilitation for long-term care residents may be effective, but there is still insufficient evidence⁶. Specifically, the benefits of physical activity for people with dementia needs to be further researched⁷. The results of this pilot study will be presented at the conference. Simple and reliable tests should be widely used in practice to describe effects of new interventions as exergaming within gerontechnology.