Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neurorehabilitation
• Dementia Care

Background:

• Day care services offer crucial support for older adults with dementia and their caregivers.
• These services provide rehabilitation to maintain and improve physical function and social engagement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between rehabilitation participation and cognitive function, depression, and apathy in older adults using day care services.
• To identify factors influencing rehabilitation participation to improve program effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• 224 community-dwelling older adults using day care services were assessed (excluding those with MMSE < 10).
• Rehabilitation Participation (RP) was measured using the Pittsburgh Rehabilitation Participation Scale (PRPS).
• Cognitive function (MMSE), depression (GDS-15), and apathy (AES) were compared between good RP (>4) and poor RP (≤4) groups.

Main Results:

• Good RP was associated with higher MMSE scores (p<0.02) and lower AES scores (p<0.01).
• No significant difference in Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) scores was observed between groups.
• A significant association between RP and apathy was found in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MMSE 23-20).

Conclusions:

• Rehabilitation participation in older adults with dementia is associated with cognitive impairment and apathy, but not depression.
• Apathy appears to be a key factor influencing rehabilitation engagement, particularly in those with mild cognitive impairment.
• Interventions targeting apathy may improve rehabilitation participation rates in this population.