title: Impact of an engineered physical therapy program for the elderly.
abstract: An eight week pilot study was conducted at McDonald Army Hospital, Physical Therapy Clinic, Fort Eustis, Virginia to evaluate the effectiveness of an engineered pool therapy program for resolving the inadequacies of providing the elderly with care which incorporated a total concept of health when staffing was a constraint. It was designed to change misconceptions about aging, create a viable social network through group instructional strategy and improve physical fitness. A small, intact, non-random sample of ten participants was selected for the pilot program. The Palmore "Facts on Aging Quiz" (1977) was administered as pre- and posttests to assess attitudinal changes. Physical measurements of strength, range of motion, flexibility and/or endurance, as applicable, were documented. Calculated pairing of participants based on similar disability but dissimilar age category constituted the key difference between this pool program and a traditional pool program. Results for the original group of participants were analyzed and residual findings were discussed. Statistical analysis revealed significant impact of this program on endurance performance but no difference for attitudinal changes. However, attributing this significant improvement of physical fitness exclusively to the engineered pool program design would be premature. Further investigations using randomized sampling and a control group were recommended.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006772:Hospitals, Military; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010809:Physical Fitness; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013550:Swimming; D014768:Virginia