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Maintenance of Mobility in Residents of an Alzheimer Special Care Facility

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2005

Judith Saxton ,
Myrna Silverman ,
Edmund Ricci ,
Christopher Keane  and
Beth Deeley
Judith Saxton
Affiliation:
Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Myrna Silverman
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Edmund Ricci
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Christopher Keane
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Beth Deeley
Affiliation:
Presbyterian SeniorCare, Oakmont, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
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Abstract

The cognitive and functional decline of demented residents in a specialized Alzheimer's facility was compared to that of demented residents living in a traditional nursing home. All residents met DSM-III-R criteria for dementia. The evaluation consisted of a clinical interview with patients and collateral assessments of cognition, general health, problem behaviors, depression, and a broad range of activities of daily living (ADLs) including mobility. Residents were evaluated at baseline and 6-month intervals over 18 months. Similar rates of decline were found in cognition and overall ADLs in both groups. However, the most striking finding was preserved mobility in residents of the Alzheimer's facility. This finding suggests that specialized facilities do not halt or slow the overall progression of cognitive and functional decline seen in Alzheimer's disease; however, residents of such facilities may show slower decline in mobility.

Type
Studies on Dementia
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , June 1998 , pp. 213 - 224
Copyright
© 1998 International Psychogeriatric Association

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