Motivating the geriatric patient for rehabilitation

Geriatric patients often appear unmotivated for rehabilitation, and "poor motivation" is frequently the reason given for excluding them from rehabilitation programs. However, these patients may actually be impeded by specific obstacles to the development of motivation. Appropriate intervention may enable them to make better use of rehabilitation opportunities. In this paper the authors review the concept of human motivation and what is known about aging and motivation. Specific age-related changes are examined and treatment interventions identified to maximize the patients' participation in rehabilitation toward improved functional ability.