Persuading patients with moderate-to-severe dementia to take part in routines such as rehabilitation can be difficult. But exercise is important to reduce their high risk of falls and injuries. 

 

‘Maintaining physical fitness in this client group is an uphill task,’ says Omkar Sawant, a mental health physiotherapist with Derbyshire Community Healthcare trust. 

 

However, there’s evidence that music can help people with cognitive issues to focus on physical activities, Mr Sawant told the International Dementia Conference held in Birmingham in November. So he and colleagues devised a routine to get patients moving.

 

They adapted a standard exercise routine to include more and shorter components, starting with an ice-breaker session to get patients interested. Sessions included a variety of activities, working upper and lower limbs separately and adding chair-based exercises, and ending with a long relaxation session.

 

The team spent many hours finding music to motivate their patients. Some patients liked well-known songs but were distracted from exercising by joining in with the lyrics. Eventually the group found a winning mix of popular instrumentals, classical music and opera.

 

Patients enjoyed the sessions, with both relatives and staff noticing improvements in their well-being after exercise sessions. The patients were better able to concentrate, showed less distress or agitation and got on better with other patients and staff. 

 

For more information about the study, which is not yet published, contact Mr Sawant at omkarsawant@nhs.net