is physiotherapy treatment during respite care effective?
GROUND: Mobility problems experienced by elderly people with a dementia are associated with falls, fractures and admission to long-term care. A hospital respite care admission is therefore often seen as an opportunity to provide physiotherapy treatment. AIM: To find whether elderly people with a dementia and a mobility problem show a greater improvement in mobility skills if given physiotherapy treatment than if given non-physical activities intervention during a hospital respite admission. METHOD: A controlled randomized multicentre trial with independent blinded assessment. The Southampton Mobility Assessment (mobility score) and Two Minute Walking Test (distance walked) were undertaken at the beginning and end of the study admission and beginning of the next respite admission. Following the first assessment, participants were randomized to either physiotherapy or activities. RESULTS: Eighty-one participants, from 12 clinical centres, with a mean age of 81.9 years and CAPE I/O score
