Is physical rehabilitation for older people in long-term care effective? Findings from a systematic review

Objective: to determine the effects of physical rehabilitation for older people resident in long-term care. Design: systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Data sources: The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline, EMBASE, AMED, CINAHL, PEDro, British Nursing Index, ASSIA,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Age and ageing 2010-03, Vol.39 (2), p.169-175
Main Authors: Forster, Anne, Lambley, Ruth, Young, John B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activities of Daily Living
Aged
Aged patients
Care and treatment
Cognition Disorders - rehabilitation
elderly
Elderly patients
Exercise Therapy
Homes for the Aged
Humans
Long term care
Long term health care
Long-term care of the sick
Medicine, Physical
Methods
Nursing Homes
Older people
Outcome Assessment (Health Care)
Patient outcomes
Physical medicine and rehabilitation
Physiological aspects
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
Rehabilitation
Residence Characteristics
Systematic review
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Summary:Objective: to determine the effects of physical rehabilitation for older people resident in long-term care. Design: systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Data sources: The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline, EMBASE, AMED, CINAHL, PEDro, British Nursing Index, ASSIA, IBSS, PsychINFO, DARE, HMIC, NHS EED, HTA, Web of Science, AsLib Index to UK Theses and Dissertation Abstracts, the National Research Register, Medical Research Council Register, CRIB, Current Controlled Trials and HSRPRoj. Trials: all randomised trials investigating physical rehabilitation for people permanently resident in long-term care aged ≥60 years. The primary outcome was measures of activity restriction. Results: 49 trials were identified involving 3,611 subjects with an average age of 82 years. Intervention duration was typically 12 weeks with a treatment intensity of three 30-min sessions per week. Exercise was the main component of the interventions. The mean attendance rate for 17 studies was 84% (range 71–97%). Thirty-three trials, including the nine trials recruiting over 100 subjects, reported positive findings, mostly improvement in mobility but also strength, flexibility and balance. Conclusion: physical rehabilitation for older people in long-term care is acceptable and potentially effective. Larger scale studies are needed to confirm the findings and should include longer term follow-up and assessment for possible harms.
ISSN:0002-0729
1468-2834
DOI:10.1093/ageing/afp247