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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Patricia Heyn--Award Winner, MA, PhD Candidate, Teaching and Learning Principles, University of Central Florida, P.O. Box 161250, Orlando, FL 32816-1250, (407) 359-9698, heynp@mail.ucf.edu
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a progressive, irreversible, degenerative disease that attacks the brain and afflicts more than 4 million persons in the USA. Studies have shown that apathy and agitation are prominent behavioral problems in AD. Research indicates that exercise helps in improving behavior, cognition, and physical health for AD individuals. This pilot study sought to measure the feasibility of an exercise intervention program that incorporates storytelling with functional exercises for AD individuals. Purpose: to evaluate the cognitive function (engagement), behavioral (agitation), and exercise (BP, Rhr, & weight) outcomes of an exercise program that send wellness messages in the form of storytelling to AD individuals living in a Memory Care Residence. Methods: 13 moderate to early-severe AD individuals participated in the 8-wk-intervention program. The group consisted of 12 females and 1 male, age ranged from 70 to 93 (M=80.5). All members were Caucasian, middle-class, and living in the facility. The Mini-Mental State Exam (M=8.31, SD=5.02), the Brief Cognitive Rating Scale (M=5.4, SD=. 79), and the length of the sessions (M=46.6, SD=17.7) were recorded. Observed physical variables were systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, resting heart rate (Rhr), and weight. Results: Rhr showed an improvement from a decrease mean of 79.69 to a mean of 70.92 (t=5.93, DF=12, p<. 01). Engagement Scale showed that all respondents were most of the time engaged in the activity and respondents reported improvements in behavior after the sessions. Conclusion: Because Rhr measures, behavior, and activity engagement improved after the storytelling-based exercises, activities that keep AD individuals engaged for a long period of time should be encouraged.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Disease Management, Health Promotion
Related Web page: www.news.ucf.edu/FY2000-01/010705.html
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.