RIDE ON OCT. 2018
The team in Frederikshavn work to improve quality of life for dementia sufferers and their families
BEATING THE DOWNWARD CYCLE OF DEMENTIA Can indoor cycling help alleviate the symptoms caused by dementia? Anders Justesen Lind – a physiotherapist working as part of an interdisciplinary dementia team in Frederikshavn, Denmark – reports Over recent years, there has been a paradigm shift in the way society has approached dementia. Previously, options for the care of those with serious cognitive issues were limited, with daycare centres or full-time care homes catering for older people really the only choices. However, the latest research findings suggest a more active approach is needed – one that focuses not just on palliative care within care homes, but on rehabilitation and improving the quality of life for dementia sufferers.
A rehabilitative approach Even though dementia is a progressive disease with no cure, many treatment centres have therefore begun to introduce a rehabilitative element into their treatment of dementia – and physical activity is an important part of this. A number of studies have found strong correlations between brain health and levels of physical activity: inactive people have an increased risk of dementia, while on the other hand, regular physical activity can slow – and even reverse – cognitive decline. Among those
