Background: The lack of structured intervention programs aimed at older people with cognitive impairment in Portugal has been identified as one of the main obstacles to the effectiveness of reminiscence therapy (RT) programs in institutional settings. Thus, well-defined and replicable RT programs should be developed and validated to fill in the gap. Objectives: To develop and validate an RT program. Methodology: The Medical Research Council framework for the development of complex interventions was followed. The program was developed in four distinct phases, including preliminary phase, modeling, field testing, and consensus conference. Results:The validation process resulted in a program consisting of a core component and a follow-up component, in a total of 21 sessions for group intervention. Conclusion: The RT program, which was designed and validated during this study, demonstrated characteristics adjusted to the context and the construct was meaningful to the target population. The effectiveness of the RT program will be tested in a future pilot study.

Aim This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the group Reminiscence Therapy (RT) on cognition, depressive symptoms, and quality of life (QOL) in older adults recruited in nursing homes. Methods A pilot study with a one-group pretest-posttest design was conducted between September 2017 and March 2018 in five nursing homes from central Portugal. A comprehensive RT program (Core program followed by a Follow-up program) was provided to clinically stable volunteers aged 65 years or more, who did not have severe cognitive impairment. Results From the 50 older adults (32 women and 18 men, with mean age of 83.32±7.76, and mean education level of 5.48±4.05) considered eligible to participate in the study, 35 (mean age: 84.17±7.46, mean education level of 6.14±4.49) completed the Core Program and 28 completed the Follow-up Program (mean age: 84.25±7.66, mean education level of 6.18±4.57). Based on the Wilcoxon Test, it was observed that the participants’ cognitive performance did not change during the two RT programs. No significant changes were confirmed in relation to depressive symptomatology and QOL. Conclusion Although no statistically significant improvements of the older adults’ cognitive function, depressive symptomatology, and quality of life were found, the stabilization of such outcomes are relevant from a clinical viewpoint. Further studies are necessary to confirm these findings.

No abstract

No abstract

Background: Aging is associated with acute and chronic problems that interfere with older adults' mobility and independence. There are several types of walkers available in the market with different functional performance profiles of older people which aim to compensate for physical limitations and prevent falls. Objective: To compare the functional performance profile of institutionalized older adults taking into account the total time, gait speed, heart rate variability, and energy cost during the Expanded Timed Get-up-and-Go test using three types of walkers: fixed, two-wheeled, and four-wheeled walkers. Methodology: One-group pretest and posttest quasi-experimental study in a convenience sample of 40 institutionalized older people. Results: Significant differences were found in the total time (X 2 = 15.65; p < 0.001) and gait speed (X 2 = 15.80, p < 0.001). Conclusion: There is no unique ideal solution among the types of walkers analyzed in this study, thus a tailored solution is desirable to meet institutionalized older adults' characteristics and specific needs.