Joanna Szczepańska, Joanna Kowalska, Grażyna Greń, Marek Woźniewski

Joanna Szczepańska, Joanna Kowalska, Grażyna Greń, Marek Woźniewski – Attitude of physiotherapists towards elderly patients with mental and behavioural disorders. Fizjoterapia Polska 2006; 6(3); 216-221

Abstract
Background. To verify whether cognitive deficits and mood disorders of older inpatients negatively influence the attitudes of physiotherapists towards them. Material and methods. Examination in Geriatric Rehabilitation Unit. 52 patients (78± ,4 years) and 7 physiotherapists. Cognitive status and mood of the patients were examined using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) respectively. GDS was performed only in patients with MMSE 15. The therapists filled an anonymous questionnaire concerning the quality of working with particular patients. This enabled the following division: group (P+) patients working with whom the physiotherapists evaluated as pleasant, group (P-) patients who were negatively evaluated by the physiotherapists as working with them was difficult and tiresome. Results. In group (P-) MMSE values were significantly lower than in group (P+), and they were 15,2±7,5 vs. 23,1±3,7 respectively (p=0,0) and GDS values were significantly higher in comparison with group (P+), and they were 21,3±4,8 vs. 14,6±5,9 respectively (p=0,0). Conclusions. The patients evoking negative attitudes of physiotherapists (impatience, irritability, aversion) had mainly severe cognitive deficits (MMSE<19) and severe depressive symptoms (GDS>20). This may be an additional factor decreasing effectiveness of physiotherapy in this group of patients.

Key words:
cognitive impairment, depression, elderly persons, physiotherapy

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