Effectiveness of a Dog-Assisted Therapy Program to Enhance Quality of Life in Institutionalized Dementia Patients

2019 ◽  
pp. 105477381986725 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Ángeles Briones ◽  
Isabel Pardo-García ◽  
Francisco Escribano-Sotos
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Public Care ◽  
Therapy Program ◽  
Dementia Patients ◽  
Therapy Intervention

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a dog-assisted therapy intervention to enhance quality of life in persons with dementia institutionalized in a public care home and to study its effect on the use of psychotropic medications. A dog-assisted therapy intervention was designed, in which 34 residents of a public care home in Cuenca (Spain) participated. The participants were assigned to two groups, an experimental and a control group. The program consisted of one 50-min session per week during 9 months. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare post-training values between groups, using baseline values as covariates. Our findings do seem to support the hypothesis that Animal-Assisted Therapy may contribute to enhancing quality of life for residents in an aged care home. However, aspects such as the format, time, and content of the sessions as well as their possibilities of reducing psychotropic medication require more research.

scholarly journals The Effectiveness of Group-Therapy Intervention on Quality of Life and Hope of Women Infected with Human immunodeficiency virus

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 139-46
Author(s):  
Niloufar Mohammadpour DoughAbadi ◽  
Aliakbar Soleimani ◽  
Khodabakhsh Ahmadi ◽  
Nasirudin Javidi
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Group Therapy ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Case Group ◽  
Improve Quality ◽  
Hope Therapy ◽  
Therapy Intervention

Background: AIDS is one of the most important causes of death in the world and the affected patients, in addition to physical problems, experience various psychological problems, especially symptoms of depression such as hopelessness, isolation and social isolation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of group-therapy intervention to improve quality of life and hope in women with HIV.Materials and Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, pretest and post-test design with a control group was used. The sample size included 24 HIV-positive patients referring to Health Care Center of Mashhad city in 2014 that were randomly divided into 12 patients in the case group and 12 in the control group. For data analysis, multivariate analysis of covariance was used.Results: The results showed that hope therapy interventions improved the quality of life of patients with HIV in two dimensions (cognitive and social). The interventions led to a significant increase in both navigational and operating dimensions of hope in the experimental group, compared with the control group.Conclusion: Therefore, interventions with the protocol of hope therapy can improve quality of life and hope in patients with certain diseases. Regarding the efficacy of the intervention of hope therapy, it is suggested that this method be used as a procedure in AIDS counselling.Keywords: Group Therapy, Quality Of Life, Hope, AIDS

scholarly journals A Comparison of the Effect of Two Types of Whole Body Vibration Platforms on Fibromyalgia. A Randomized Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 3007
Author(s):  
José Antonio Mingorance ◽  
Pedro Montoya ◽  
José García Vivas Miranda ◽  
Inmaculada Riquelme
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Motor Function ◽  
Whole Body Vibration ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Body Vibration ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Therapy Program

Whole body vibration has been proven to improve the health status of patients with fibromyalgia, providing an activation of the neuromuscular spindles, which are responsible for muscle contraction. The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of two types of whole body vibrating platforms (vertical and rotational) during a 12-week training program. Sixty fibromyalgia patients (90% were women) were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: group A (n = 20), who performed the vibration training with a vertical platform; group B (n = 20), who did rotational platform training; or a control group C (n = 20), who did not do any training. Sensitivity measures (pressure pain and vibration thresholds), quality of life (Quality of Life Index), motor function tasks (Berg Scale, six-minute walking test, isometric back muscle strength), and static and dynamic balance (Romberg test and gait analysis) were assessed before, immediately after, and three months after the therapy program. Although both types of vibration appeared to have beneficial effects with respect to the control group, the training was more effective with the rotational than with vertical platform in some parameters, such as vibration thresholds (p < 0.001), motor function tasks (p < 0.001), mediolateral sway (p < 0.001), and gait speed (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, improvements disappeared in the follow-up in both types of vibration. Our study points out greater benefits with the use of rotational rather than vertical whole body vibration. The use of the rotational modality is recommended in the standard therapy program for patients with fibromyalgia. Due to the fact that the positive effects of both types of vibration disappeared during the follow-up, continuous or intermittent use is recommended.

Long-term effectiveness of telephone-based health coaching for heart failure patients: A post-only randomised controlled trial

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (8) ◽  
pp. 716-724 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel Tiede ◽  
Sarah Dwinger ◽  
Lutz Herbarth ◽  
Martin Härter ◽  
Jörg Dirmaier
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Heart Failure ◽  
Locus Of Control ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Health Coaching ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Heart Failure Patients ◽  
Health Related

Introduction The * Equal contributors. health-status of heart failure patients can be improved to some extent by disease self-management. One method of developing such skills is telephone-based health coaching. However, the effects of telephone-based health coaching remain inconclusive. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of telephone-based health coaching for people with heart failure. Methods A total sample of 7186 patients with various chronic diseases was randomly assigned to either the coaching or the control group. Then 184 patients with heart failure were selected by International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 code for subgroup analysis. Data were collected at 24 and 48 months after the beginning of the coaching. The primary outcome was change in quality of life. Secondary outcomes were changes in depression and anxiety, health-related control beliefs, control preference, health risk behaviour and health-related behaviours. Statistical analyses included a per-protocol evaluation, employing analysis of variance and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) as well as Mann-Whitney U tests. Results Participants’ average age was 73 years (standard deviation (SD) = 9) and the majority were women (52.8%). In ANCOVA analyses there were no significant differences between groups for the change in quality of life (QoL). However, the coaching group reported a significantly higher level of physical activity ( p = 0.03), lower intake of non-prescribed drugs ( p = 0.04) and lower levels of stress ( p = 0.02) than the control group. Mann-Whitney U tests showed a different external locus of control ( p = 0.014), and higher reduction in unhealthy nutrition ( p = 0.019), physical inactivity ( p = 0.004) and stress ( p = 0.028). Discussion Our results suggest that telephone-based health coaching has no effect on QoL, anxiety and depression of heart failure patients, but helps in improving certain risk behaviours and changes the locus of control to be more externalised.

scholarly journals A Randomized Controlled Trial of Two Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract Voice Therapy Protocols

2015 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 535-549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mara R. Kapsner-Smith ◽  
Eric J. Hunter ◽  
Kimberly Kirkham ◽  
Karin Cox ◽  
Ingo R. Titze
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Vocal Tract ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Voice Quality ◽  
Voice Handicap Index ◽  
Voice Therapy ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Perceptual Evaluation ◽  
Therapy Program

PurposeAlthough there is a long history of use of semi-occluded vocal tract gestures in voice therapy, including phonation through thin tubes or straws, the efficacy of phonation through tubes has not been established. This study compares results from a therapy program on the basis of phonation through a flow-resistant tube (FRT) with Vocal Function Exercises (VFE), an established set of exercises that utilize oral semi-occlusions.MethodTwenty subjects (16 women, 4 men) with dysphonia and/or vocal fatigue were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment conditions: (a) immediate FRT therapy, (b) immediate VFE therapy, (c) delayed FRT therapy, or (d) delayed VFE therapy. Subjects receiving delayed therapy served as a no-treatment control group.ResultsVoice Handicap Index (Jacobson et al., 1997) scores showed significant improvement for both treatment groups relative to the no-treatment group. Comparison of the effect sizes suggests FRT therapy is noninferior to VFE in terms of reduction in Voice Handicap Index scores. Significant reductions in Roughness on the Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (Kempster, Gerratt, Verdolini Abbott, Barkmeier-Kraemer, & Hillman, 2009) were found for the FRT subjects, with no other significant voice quality findings.ConclusionsVFE and FRT therapy may improve voice quality of life in some individuals with dysphonia. FRT therapy was noninferior to VFE in improving voice quality of life in this study.

scholarly journals Effects of Forest Therapy on Health Promotion among Middle-Aged Women: Focusing on Physiological Indicators

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. 4348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bum-Jin Park ◽  
Chang-Seob Shin ◽  
Won-Sop Shin ◽  
Chung-Yeub Chung ◽  
Si-Hyung Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Middle Age ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Therapy Program ◽  
Vitamin D Levels ◽  
The City ◽  
Day Program

Women experience more stress in middle age than in other life stages, and health in middle age is vital, because it influences the quality of life in old age. In this study, the effects of a forest therapy program on physiological changes in 53 middle-aged women (divided into two groups) who lived in the city were examined. One group participated in a three-day program in the forest, followed by three days in the city; the other group participated in a three-day program in the city, followed by three days in the forest. Forest experiments were conducted in a “healing forest,” and urban experiments were conducted near a university campus. Blood tests were performed to evaluate the physiological effects of forest therapy. Differences in serotonin levels and vitamin D levels were verified before and after the forest (experimental group) and urban (control group) programs through paired t-tests. Statistically significant increases in serotonin levels were noted for participants in the forest program; vitamin D levels also increased, but not by statistically significant values. The findings of this study verify that forest therapy programs promote health among middle-aged women, and may prevent disease and improve quality of life.

AwareCare: a pilot randomized controlled trial of an awareness-based staff training intervention to improve quality of life for residents with severe dementia in long-term care settings

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Clare ◽  
Rhiannon Whitaker ◽  
Robert T Woods ◽  
Catherine Quinn ◽  
Hannah Jelley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Severe Dementia ◽  
Term Care

ABSTRACTBackground: The extent to which care home residents with severe dementia show awareness is influenced by the extent to which the environment provides opportunities for engagement and by the way in which care staff interact with them. We aimed to establish whether training care staff to observe and identify signs of awareness in residents with severe dementia resulted in improved quality of life for residents.Methods: In this pilot cluster randomized trial, care staff in four homes (n = 32) received training and supervision and carried out structured observations of residents using the AwareCare measure (n = 32) over an eight-week period, while staff in four control homes (n = 33) had no training with regard to their residents (n = 33) and no contact with the research team. The primary outcome was resident quality of life. Secondary outcomes were resident well-being, behavior and cognition, staff attitudes and well-being, and care practices in the home.Results: Following intervention, residents in the intervention group had significantly better quality of life as rated by family members than those in the control group, but care staff ratings of quality of life did not differ. There were no other significant between-group differences. Staff participating in the intervention identified benefits in terms of their understanding of residents’ needs.Conclusions: Staff were able to use the observational measure effectively and relatives of residents in the intervention homes perceived an improvement in their quality of life.

scholarly journals Clinical Observation on the Effect of Systematic Nursing Intervention on Cognitive Function, Life Activity Ability, and Quality of Life of Senile Dementia Patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Yuan Zheng ◽  
Xiaoyan Xu ◽  
Birong Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Senile Dementia ◽  
Nursing Intervention ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Observation Group ◽  
Nursing Satisfaction ◽  
Dementia Patients ◽  
Sf 36

Objective. To explore the influence of systematic nursing intervention on the life ability and quality of senile dementia patients. Methods. Total of 82 senile dementia patients who were admitted to our hospital from January 2018 to January 2020 were divided into two groups according to the random number table, and the nursing intervention was analyzed. 41 patients in the control group were given routine nursing care, and 41 patients in the observation group were given systematic nursing intervention. Patients were assessed cognitively using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA). The Barthel index and SF-36 were used to evaluate the patients’ daily activity function and quality of life. A Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) was used to assess mental distress. The Social-Adaptive Function Rating Scale (SAFE) and Social Skills Inventory (SSC) were used to evaluate the patients’ social interaction ability before and after nursing intervention. Nursing satisfaction was distributed to patients in the form of a self-prepared nursing satisfaction questionnaire for scoring. Results. After the nursing intervention, the MoCA scores of patients in the two groups were higher than those before the nursing intervention, and the scores in the observation group were higher than those in the control group P < 0.05 . After the nursing intervention, the Barthel index scores of patients in the two groups were higher than those before the nursing intervention, and the scores in the observation group were higher than those in the control group P < 0.05 . After the nursing intervention, the SF-36 scores of patients in the two groups were higher than those before the nursing intervention, and the scores in the observation group were higher than those in the control group P < 0.05 . After nursing intervention, the SCL-90-R scores of patients in the two groups were lower than those before nursing intervention, and the scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group P < 0.05 . After the nursing intervention, the SAFE scores of patients in the two groups were lower than those before the nursing intervention, and the safe scores of the observation group were lower than those of the control group P < 0.05 . After the nursing intervention, the SSC scores of patients in the two groups were lower than those before the nursing intervention, and the scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group P < 0.05 . After nursing intervention, the total satisfaction degree of the control group (80.49%) was lower than that of the observation group (97.56%) P < 0.05 . Conclusion. The implementation of systematic nursing intervention is conducive to improve the cognitive function, activity of life, and quality of life of senile dementia patients who have a positive effect, and nursing satisfaction is higher.

scholarly journals Effect of a tailored multidimensional intervention on the care burden among family caregivers of stroke survivors: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. e041637
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Ahmed Elsheikh ◽  
Michiko Moriyama ◽  
Md Moshiur Rahman ◽  
Mayumi Kako ◽  
Ahmed Hashem El-Monshed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Family Needs ◽  
Care Burden ◽  
Perceived Needs

IntroductionCaring for stroke survivors creates high levels of care burden among family caregivers. Previous initiatives at alleviating the care burden have been unsuccessful. The proposed study aims to evaluate the effect of a tailored multidimensional intervention on the care burden among family caregivers of stroke survivors. Based on the perceived needs of family caregivers, this intervention takes into account scientific recommendations to combine three different approaches: skill-building, psychoeducation and peer support.Methods and analysisUsing a prospective, randomised, open-label, parallel-group design, 110 family caregivers will be enrolled from Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt between December 2019 and May 2020, and randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group. The tailored multidimensional intervention will be administered for 6 months, including three home visits, six home-based telephone calls and one peer support session. The primary outcome is the care burden as measured using the Zarit Burden Interview. Secondary outcomes include changes in the family caregivers’ perceived needs (Family Needs Questionnaire-Revised), coping strategies (Brief-Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced) and quality of life (WHO Quality of Life-BREF). Outcomes evaluation will be conducted at baseline (T0), month 3 (T1) and month 6 (T2). Independent t-test will be performed to compare the mean values of study variables between the two groups at both T1 and T2. After adjusting for confounding variables, analysis of covariance will be used to assess the effect of the intervention. In addition, repeated measures analysis of variance will be conducted to assess changes in effect over time.Ethics and disseminationThis study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Nursing, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt (P.0195). The results will be published in a scientific peer-reviewed journal, and findings will be disseminated at the local and international levels.Trial registration numberNCT04211662.

Randomized trial of yoga in women with breast cancer undergoing radiation treatment

2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 8505-8505 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Cohen ◽  
K. Chandwani ◽  
B. Thornton ◽  
G. Perkins ◽  
E. Rivera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Radiation Treatment ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Breathing Exercises ◽  
Adjusted Means ◽  
Sf 36

8505 Background: Yoga, an ancient Indian science, incorporates stress-reduction techniques that include regulated breathing, visual imagery, and meditation, as well as various postures that may be useful for cancer patients. Methods: A yoga program was developed that including loosening and breathing exercises, postures, alternate nostril breathing, a deep relaxation technique, and meditation for patients with breast cancer who were undergoing radiotherapy. Women participated in bi-weekly classes during their 6 weeks of radiation treatment. Sixty-one women with breast cancer were randomly assigned to either the yoga program or to a waitlist control group. Patients completed measures of intrusive thoughts and avoidance behaviors (Impact of Events Scale: IES), depressive symptoms (CES-D), sleep disturbances (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), fatigue (BFI), and quality of life (SF-36) at baseline, 1 week, and 1 and 3 months after the last radiation therapy. We report on the outcomes 1 week after the end of radiotherapy. Results: The average age of the women was 52, 3% stage 0, 28% stage I, 43% stage II, and 26% stage III, 48% had undergone breast-conserving surgery, and 75% had received chemotherapy prior to starting radiotherapy. Analysis of covariance, controlling for baseline, revealed that the yoga group had significantly better SF-36 physical function scores (adjusted means: yoga 81.8 vs. control 68.6, P < 0.01), significantly higher SF-36 general health scores (adjusted means: yoga 78.3 vs. control 67.9, P < 0.03), marginally better SF-36 social functioning scores (adjusted means: yoga 85.3 vs. control 76.0, P > 0.1), significantly lower levels of sleep-related daytime dysfunction (adjusted means: yoga 0.5 vs. control 1.2, P < 0.04), and marginally lower levels of fatigue (adjusted means: yoga 1.9 vs. control 3.1, P < 0.06) than the control group. There were no other group differences on the SF-36 subscales or for the CES-D or IES scores. Conclusions: The results indicated that the yoga program was associated with statistically and clinical significant improvements in aspects of quality of life. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

The Effect of a Recreational Therapy Program on the Pain Anxiety and Quality of Life of Patients with Burn Injuries: A Randomized Clinical Trial

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Razieh Froutan ◽  
Abolfazl Saberi ◽  
Ali Ahmadabadi ◽  
Seyed Reza Mazlom
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Burn Injuries ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Recreational Therapy ◽  
Pain Anxiety ◽  
Therapy Program

Abstract Pain anxiety and dysfunction are among the most prevalent complications of burns, impacting the quality of life of patients with burn injuries. As a non-pharmaceutical approach, recreational therapy can be effective in reducing the complications of burns. This study aimed to examine the effect of a recreational therapy program on the pain anxiety and quality of life of patients with burn injuries. This controlled randomized clinical trial was conducted on 58 patients admitted to the burn center of XXX. These patients were randomly allocated to the intervention and control group. The intervention group received a recreational therapy program three sessions a week, for two weeks. The control group performed routine daily activities. As the main variable of the study, the Burn Specific Pain Anxiety Scale and Burn Specific Health Scale-Brief were completed for both groups before and two weeks after the intervention. After controlling confounders, the pain anxiety score in the intervention group was significantly lower than in the control group (p = 0.002). The total quality of life score was significantly higher in the intervention group than the control group (p = 0.001). In addition, the intervention significantly increased the scores of quality of life in the physical (p&lt; 0.001), emotional (p = 0.009), and social (p&lt; 0.001) dimensions. As it reduces pain anxiety and promotes the quality of life of patients with burn injuries, this recreational therapy program is recommended for promoting the mental health and quality of life of these patients.

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