Comparison between group and personal rehabilitation for dementia in a geriatric health service facility: single-blinded randomized controlled study.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to compare the effects of rehabilitation involving group and personal sessions on demented participants.


METHODS
This single-blinded randomized controlled trial included 60 elderly participants with dementia in a geriatric health service facility, or R oken. Staff members, who did not participate in the intervention, examined cognitive function, mood, communication ability, severity of dementia, objective quality of life, vitality, and daily behaviour. After a baseline assessment, participants were randomly divided into three groups: (i) group intervention; (ii) personal intervention; and (iii) control. The 1-h group intervention (3-5 subjects) and 20-min personal intervention (one staff member per participant) were performed twice a week for 12 weeks (24 total sessions). The cognitive rehabilitation programme consisted of reminiscence, reality orientation, and physical exercise, and it was based on five principles of brain-activating rehabilitation; (i) pleasant atmosphere; (ii) communication; (iii) social roles; (iv) praising; and (v) errorless support. Data were analyzed after the second assessment.


RESULTS
Outcome measures were analyzed in 43 participants-14 in the control group, 13 in group intervention, and 16 in personal intervention. Repeated measure ancova showed a significant interaction for cognitive function score (Mini-Mental State Examination) between group intervention and controls ( F  = 5.535, P = 0.029). In the post-hoc analysis, group intervention showed significant improvement (P = 0.016). Global severity of dementia tended to improve (P = 0.094) in group intervention compared to control (Mann-Whitney U -test). There were no significant interactions or improvements for other measurements.


CONCLUSIONS
Group rehabilitation for dementia is more effective for improving cognitive function and global severity of dementia than personal rehabilitation in Roken.
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Maebashi, Japan.|Departments of Rehabilitation, Shin-aikai Medical Corporation, Annaka, Japan.
Shigeya
S
Tanaka
Departments of Internal medicine, Shin-aikai Medical Corporation, Annaka, Japan.
Shin
S
Honda
Departments of Internal medicine, Shin-aikai Medical Corporation, Annaka, Japan.
Hajime
H
Nakano
Departments of Rehabilitation, Shin-aikai Medical Corporation, Annaka, Japan.
Yuko
Y
Sato
Departments of Rehabilitation, Shin-aikai Medical Corporation, Annaka, Japan.
Kazufumi
K
Araya
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Gunma University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Maebashi, Japan.
Haruyasu
H
Yamaguchi
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001519:Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
brain-activating rehabilitation; dementia; geriatric health service facility; group intervention; rehabilitation