Rehabilitation Services for Young-Onset Dementia: Examples from High- and Low-Middle-Income Countries.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Gerontology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• The World Health Organization (WHO) Dementia Global Action Plan emphasizes the need for rehabilitation services to enhance health, reduce disability, and improve quality of life for individuals with dementia.
• Current rehabilitation services for dementia are limited, with a significant gap in provision for people experiencing young-onset dementia (YOD).

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive, three-part overview to stimulate the development of rehabilitation services tailored for young-onset dementia (YOD).
• To synthesize current evidence-based rehabilitative therapies for specific YOD types and explore practical service delivery models.
• To highlight the role of telehealth in expanding access to YOD rehabilitation.

Main Methods:

• A synthesis of existing knowledge on evidence-based rehabilitative therapies for early-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD), behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), primary progressive aphasia (PPA), and posterior cortical atrophy (PCA).
• Discussion of the characteristics of rehabilitation services for YOD, including examples of integration into existing healthcare settings across three continents.
• Exploration of the multidisciplinary team's roles and the potential of telehealth in enhancing accessibility.

Main Results:

• Identification of evidence-based rehabilitative therapies applicable to various forms of young-onset dementia.
• Presentation of diverse models for embedding YOD rehabilitation services within current healthcare infrastructures.
• Demonstration of how telehealth can overcome geographical and logistical barriers to YOD rehabilitation.

Conclusions:

• There is a critical need to expand rehabilitation services for young-onset dementia (YOD).
• A multidisciplinary approach, incorporating evidence-based therapies and innovative service delivery models, is essential for effective YOD rehabilitation.
• Telehealth presents a promising avenue for increasing the accessibility and reach of YOD rehabilitation programs.