Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 25, 2026

Exergaming in Older People Living with HIV Improves Balance, Mobility and Ameliorates Some Aspects of Frailty
Published on: October 6, 2016
A program to reduce fatigue in convalescing elderly adults
Sherry Robinson1, Charlene Vollmer, Brenda Hermes
1Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Memorial Medical Center, Springfield, Illinois, USA.
Abstract:
This study is an examination of the influence of a fatigue reduction program on the level of fatigue experienced by elderly individuals convalescing in subacute units after lower extremity injury, surgery, or weakness. Fifty participants with a mean age of 81 were divided into two groups of 25 participants. The experimental group received a fatigue reduction program consisting of planned rest periods after bathing and therapy; high-protein, high-carbohydrate liquid supplement; and a 3-minute back rub at bedtime. Each participant's level of fatigue was tested soon after admission and 1 week later, and data were analyzed using the paired t test. The difference between the change in pre-test and post-test scores of the two groups was significant in all three measures of fatigue. The experimental group exhibited a significantly greater reduction in fatigue. The outcomes reinforced the value of nursing interventions that have been an integral component of nursing care from its beginning: promoting nutrition, alternating periods of activity and rest, and including a back rub in evening care.
Related Concept Videos
Fatigue
Muscle Recovery and Fatigue
Aging
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
Heart Failure VI: Adjunct Therapies