Dementia and Physiotherapy

Dementia is common, affecting more than 400 000 Australians. Furthermore, it’s estimated more than 1.5 million Australians are involved in caring for someone who has dementia.

If your life is affected by dementia, you’ll understand the significant impact the condition has on the sufferers’ physical and mental well-being and overall quality of life.

While there’s no cure for dementia yet, dementia physiotherapy treatment aims to support those living with dementia to preserve their physical and mental well-being for as long as possible.

Our experienced physiotherapists at Valens Care can provide NDIS-funded treatment. We individually tailor a program of exercises and movements aiming to:

Improve mobility and balance
Reduce frailty
Decrease risk of falls and injury
Slow cognitive decline
Improve thought and mood.

Here we discuss dementia, and how dementia physiotherapy treatment may help.

Table of Contents

What is dementia?

Dementia is not one specific disorder, but rather a collection of symptoms caused by conditions that affect the brain. It results in a progressive decline in brain function, with symptoms starting slowly and gradually worsening over time, leading to increasing loss of cognitive and functional abilities.

While dementia can vary from person to person some of the common effects include:

Memory loss
Confusion
Reduced problem-solving abilities
Behaviour changes
Reduced depth perception
Social withdrawal
Weakening muscles
Slow reflexes
Balance difficulties (higher falls risk)
Poor coordination
Difficulty with multitasking

These symptoms can make it harder for your loved one to perform everyday tasks. As the disease progresses you may find they need more and more help with once simple tasks like walking, talking, eating, showering, dressing, and toileting.

While dementia can’t be cured or reversed, physiotherapy may help in the management of the condition.

How can physiotherapy help?

Dementia physiotherapy focuses on helping your loved one maintain their strengths and abilities. The aim is to keep them physically and mentally healthy and continue living with as much independence as possible, for as long as possible.

This is achieved by partnering with the person living with dementia, their multidisciplinary team, and their support system.

Dementia physiotherapy involves performing a comprehensive assessment of the person’s condition and circumstances and then tailoring a treatment program to support them.

Some of the ways physiotherapy for dementia may help include:

Exercise and Activities

Regular exercise may support physical abilities, enhance cognitive functioning, and reduce some behavioural challenges. Physiotherapy for dementia includes exercise and activities to improve thought processing, strength, flexibility, and balance.

Physiotherapists assess mobility and prescribe exercises to help build endurance, speed, or stability. They may provide techniques to manage muscle weakness, helping with everyday tasks like hanging washing, opening doors, and climbing stairs. They may provide training to help with balance challenges like walking on uneven surfaces.

A few of the exercises and activities the treatment program could involve include:

Individual or group exercise classes
Dance sessions
Pool-based therapy.

Early care, soon after diagnosis, is especially important for brain health, physical strength, and balance, giving the best chance for maintaining abilities as the condition progresses.

Education

Family members and caregivers play an important role in dementia physiotherapy treatment, which emphasises education as a key component. Physiotherapists offer guidance on integrating exercise and activities into daily routines, as well as communication strategies to help caregivers recognise behavioural patterns and unmet needs. Additionally, physiotherapists provide training to reduce your loved one’s risk of falling and encourage independence.

Educating and empowering families and caregivers can help the person living with dementia continue living in their home for longer.

Assistive Devices

Physiotherapists can assess your loved one’s needs and condition and give advice relating to mobility aids (i.e., walking sticks) or home modifications (i.e., shower rails) to increase independence and safety.

They may also advise you’re loved one wear a personal medical alarm. These alarms provide peace of mind and may be accessed through the NDIS. The alarm stays with your loved one, wherever they go. It can, with the push of a button, alert emergency services or family members in the event of an emergency like a fall or sudden medical event.

Pain Management

Identifying pain in someone with dementia can be difficult if the person is unable to communicate with words. Physiotherapists are highly trained in the assessment and management of pain and are experienced in identifying pain cues in people who can’t communicate verbally.

The Valens Care Difference

At Valens Care, we understand that dementia not only impacts the person with the condition but also those around them. That’s why we’re passionate about providing individually tailored, person-centred, mobile physiotherapy treatment to people living with dementia. We aim to make it as easy as possible for your loved one to access care.

Physiotherapy can play a vital role in your loved one’s dementia care by supporting them to enjoy the best quality of life possible for as long as possible.

We may also refer your loved one to one of our partners: Neurofit Brain Centre.

Neurofit use several evidence-based, non-invasive, and enjoyable therapies to stimulate the brain. They aim to slow the progression of dementia and reduce the symptoms of cognitive decline.

Neurofits brain therapy may positively impact overall well-being and quality of life by improving memory and thought, visuospatial attention, and motor control.

If someone you love has Dementia, contact us today.

* All information is general and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Valens Care can consult with you regarding your individual health needs.