physiotherapy - ReaDementia

Physical Therapy Exercises for Dementia Patients (Guide)

Trevor Howitt Blog August 11, 2023November 19, 2023physiotherapy, physiotherapy exercises, physiotherapy for dementia

Physical therapy exercises for dementia patients is really important as it helps to maintain mobility, improve their health and their quality of life. Exercise can make a tremendous difference to a person’s health. Regular exercise lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and Type 2 Diabetes.

It is particularly good for people with dementia as they cannot always explain how they are feeling or any aches and pains they have. With careful assessment, their physiotherapist can locate any problem areas in their body and work to resolve – or at least – minimise their discomfort.

‘Physical therapy, also known as physiotherapy, may include certain exercises, massages and treatments based on physical stimuli (e.g. cold, heat, electrical currents or ultrasound). The purpose of physical therapy is to relieve pain, help you move better or strengthen weakened muscles’ Source

Physical Therapy Exercises for Dementia Patients

Why is physical therapy so important?

Gentle exercise is a holistic treatment as it not only keeps the body strong so that the person can continue everyday activities, but exercise is really good for your loved one’s mental well-being.

In addition, it lowers levels of stress and anxiety and raises a person’s mood. As a person ages and mobility becomes more limited, the importance of physiotherapy increases.

Physiotherapy can help an individual with dementia to remain as independent as possible with mobility and the ability to carry out normal activities of daily living. Source

What exercises does a physiotherapist give dementia patients?

Physiotherapists complete a particular range of exercises and movements with each dementia patient – depending on their individual needs.

Some of the exercises are designed to improve and maintain movement and muscle strength. Others will be focused on a particular problem area.

The physiotherapist will show you certain easy exercises that you and staff at the dementia care centre can encourage your loved one to complete on a daily basis. These exercises will need to be completed regularly if they are to have any success.

Physiotherapists will complete certain passive movements with your loved one targeting a particular part of the body – for example the lower back if they have backache or stiff joints.

They can also advise you on other physical therapy exercises for dementia patients – activities that will be particularly beneficial for your loved one.

Is massage good for dementia patients?

Physiotherapists often use massage for their patients. If your loved one enjoys a massage, it is certainly something you can consider to do at home.

The five senses – especially touch – are of great importance when interacting with a person with dementia. Having a massage will not only benefit them physically to improve stiff and aching joints, but it will also ease feelings of tension and anxiety. Massage also helps a dementia patient to not feel so isolated.

Some dementia patients do not like being given a massage. They become agitated. This is because they feel that the massage is an invasion of their private space.

Physiotherapists closely monitor the effect of the message on their patient. They watch for any non-verbal cues from the patient that indicate that they are finding the massage uncomfortable.

What other therapies are offered?

There are a number of physical therapies that are based on physical stimuli that could be offered to your loved one by the physiotherapist. These include :

Manual lymphatic drainage

This is a special type of massage that helps to drain excess fluid from the tissue. It has been found to be effective for such conditions as rheumatoid arthritis. It can also be used to reduce anxiety and promote sleep.

Electrotherapy

A weak electric current is used in this treatment which is effective for relaxing muscle spasms, and increasing blood circulation in a particular area. Electrotherapy is also used in muscle rehabilitation and in the management of chronic pain.

Heat therapy

There is a variety of different heat treatments used by physiotherapists including warm baths, warm wax or mud packs, heat lamps and ultrasound. The whole body can be treated or just an area or limb. This treatment is used for pain relief and to increase blood flow.

Cold therapy

In contrast, cold therapy is used just for short sessions with cold water, ice and cold air. Cold therapy can be very effective for reducing swelling and pain and other conditions including osteoarthritis, muscle strains, and tendinitis.

Physical therapy exercises for dementia patients that can be done at home

Much physical therapy can be done in the home environment with dementia patients. Exercises range from everyday tasks such as getting washed and dressed, getting in and out of the bath/shower and on and off a chair.

Balance is of key importance so regularly guiding your loved one up and down stairs and steps is beneficial, as well as negotiating slopes. Simple balance exercises completed regularly are also beneficial and these can include standing on one leg.

Getting outside for a walk in the country is excellent exercise. Other activities include swimming, gardening and playing bowls or skittles – which all have the added bonus of being sociable too. Yoga, water aerobics and dancing are other good forms of exercise to consider too.

Regular hand massages bring many benefits…

Giving your loved one a hand massage can be a very special time for you both and something they will enjoy – especially if your use a cream or oil with their favourite fragrance such as almond or coconut.

On the website of The Registered Massage Therapists Association of Ontario the benefits of giving a simple hand massage regularly are explained –

Regularly applied hand massage helps decrease agitation in people with dementia, which includes decreasing the frequency and intensity of agitated behaviours such as wandering. Massage therapy may also offset the social isolation that can lead to this agitation and related behaviour. It can also assist people with dementia feel comforted, especially in a residential care environment, as it may be the only positive physical touch they regularly receive.

Giving a hand massage is straight forward and is something that your loved one can enjoy – especially if you are visiting them in a dementia care home.

The massage should take about five minutes to complete. You massage one hand and then the other. Light massage movements on each of the fingers, thumbs, palms and front of the hands will make a positive difference.

Final Thoughts – Physical Therapy Exercises for Dementia Patients

The most important point is, physical therapy is essential for dementia patients for as long as possible as it will certainly have a positive impact on their health, mobility and quality of life.

The physical therapy exercises for dementia patients outlined in this article are easy to do at home.

If you find that encouraging them to exercise is proving challenging, it could be because they are feeling pain which they cannot explain.

Seeing a physiotherapist is the ideal solution as they can help ease any physical problem and give you plenty of good tips and advice on physical therapies that you can complete with your loved one….

Physiotherapy and Dementia Treatment

Petra Boh Blog, Prevention May 10, 2021August 11, 2023dementia, physiotherapy

We take an in-depth look at the close connection between physiotherapy and dementia.

I cannot express myself enough how important is exercise and movement, which I continuously encourage my grandparents to participate in.

While there is still no cure for dementia, there are certain interventions that can help people who are living with the disease.

One of the most common ones is physiotherapy.

According to Physiopedia, physiotherapy plays a huge role in maintaining and promoting mobility in persons who have dementia.

It also helps to reduce the burden of care and improve the quality of life for individuals with the illness.

By implementing professional physio, it helps improve psychological, physical, and social well-being. Through simple body movements.

The experts use different kinds of exercises with persons who have dementia.

Some of the most common ones include:

Group exercise classes that enhance mobility and balance
Pool-based therapy where participants do not only engage in exercises but also practice handling multiple tasks at once
Virtual reality dancing using innovative systems such as Nintendo Wii to mimic movements as well as receive tactile and auditory feedback. Or participating in dance therapy
Technology-based prompting systems designed to deconstruct everyday tasks by creating written or verbal prompts

Physiotherapists usually offer personalized services depending on what a person needs when dealing with physiotherapy and dementia.

This helps them come up with the most effective ways of helping the individual with the illness.

Physiotherapy and Dementia Benefits

There are multiple ways individuals with dementia can benefit from physiotherapy sessions.

Improving Balance

Many people who have dementia usually experience poor balance which increases the risk of falling.

Physiotherapy can reduce the risk of falling by offering exercises that are designed to improve balance.

Physiotherapists can curate fall prevention programs that can address the fear of falling.

It helps persons with the illness maintain their independence and safely complete daily living tasks.

Physiotherapy Promotes Exercise

The benefits of exercise are immeasurable for everyone – including people with dementia.

People with dementia need to get up and move about depending on their capabilities. This can help prevent an array of medical conditions.

Physiotherapists can help people with dementia take part in appropriate exercises.

They can develop different beneficial programs like:

Strengthening exercises that will decrease the risk of osteoporosis and increase bone strength.
Stretching and Flexibility: These can help a person move around easier and they can assist in muscle tightening.
Postural Management: To prevent poor posture it is important for a person to regularly change their position. Physiotherapy assists in this leading to increased comfort levels as well as decreased joint movement and pressure sores.

Some of the exercises that the professionals recommend include seated exercise group, walking and utilizing technology like Wii.

Exercise is IMPORTANT because it can help improve the mood and thinking of people who have dementia.

This in turn can encourage social interaction and reduce the need for medication. It can also help people who are from surgery recover better and faster.

In some people with progressive illness, working out can have a POSITIVE IMPACT on the psychological and behavioral symptoms of the illness.

By exercising, persons with can dementia enjoy better sleep and feel less fatigued.

To encourage persons with dementia to exercise, physiotherapists do not only lead activities, but they can also lead recall or music classes.

Pain Management

When discussing physiotherapy and dementia, it is important to mention that drug-free therapy can help in pain management.

People with dementia may experience pain for a wide range of reasons. Including pressure sores, infections, osteoarthritis, and falls among others.

Pain CAN AFFECT motivation, mental function, and how persons with dementia respond to rehabilitation programs.

Some people with dementia may have a hard time expressing they are in pain.

Physiotherapists help in identifying and treating pain. They also offer the support that ill people need.

Reduce Care Burden

Carers who look after individuals with dementia usually display poorer health when compared to their peers.

Physiotherapy helps to reduce care burden by educating caregivers and also encouraging independence among people who are living with dementia.

This can give carers more free time to take care of themselves. Consequently, they can be happy and healthy while executing their caregiving responsibilities.

Helps in Saving Costs

Physiotherapists contribute a lot when it comes to offering improved care for people who have dementia.

CSP reveals that physiotherapy services for individuals living with dementia have been identified as a key cost saver saving up to £6 million annually.

This is because physiotherapists can help in the early discharge of people so that a person with dementia does NOT have to stay in the hospital for too long.

For instance, if a person suffers a common hip fracture, they are usually required to stay in the hospital for an average of seven days.

The majority of people with dementia will end up staying in the hospital for about fourteen days.

Some may even stay for a month or more.

The longer a person stays in the hospital the more costs are incurred.

However, when working with a physiotherapist, people will dementia will end up staying fewer days in hospital incurring fewer costs.

A case study on the above was done in Greenview Intermediate Care Unit.

This is an institution that offers rehabilitation for persons who have delirium and dementia offering them an opportunity to go back home.

Persons at Greenview go through physiotherapy sessions five days a week following home visits and assessments to evaluate risk factors before they are discharged.

More than half of the people go back home safely.

The professionals conduct further follow-up home visits to assess progress as well as collaborate with other agencies to make sure the individuals discharged STAY SAFE at home.

The service has seen a reduction in people staying in hospital which ends up reducing costs and preventing hospital admissions in the future.

Physiotherapy and Dementia Closing Thoughts

There are a few things that CANNOT be ignored when it comes to looking after a person with dementia. One of them is physiotherapy.

While physiotherapy does not cure dementia it can help slow down cognitive deterioration, enhance mobility, improve the quality of life, and help a person with dementia lead a more dignified life.