Physical Exercise for Seniors with Dementia: Potential Benefits Perceived by Formal Caregivers

Abstract Background: The social and economic impact of dementia urge for calls to develop accessible and sustainable care for seniors with dementia (SwD). Physical exercise has been seen as a beneficial non- pharmacological therapy in the prevention and management of Dementia, and possible benefits may not impact only the participants, but also indirectly their Caregivers. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the effects of an exercise intervention on functional capacity, neuropsychiatry symptoms and quality of life (QoL) of institutionalized older adults with dementia, perceived by their formal caregivers. Methods: Sixty-four institutionalized older adults (from both genders, aged 65–93 yrs. old), clinically diagnosed with dementia, were divided into two groups: control group (CG, n= 26) and exercise group (EG, 6-month supervised multicomponent exercise intervention n= 38). Nine caregivers (female, aged 28-47 yrs old) from nine different nursing homes, reported about care receiver’s functional capacity (Katz index), quality of life (QoL-AD) and behavioural and psychological symptoms (BPSD) in dementia (NPI) before and after 6 months of an exercise intervention (aerobic, muscular resistance, flexibility and postural exercises). Results: A two-way ANOVA, with repeated measures, revealed significant group and time interactions on Total Katz index and NPI-score. The CG's performance functional capacity and total BPSD score worsen over time while in EG maintains these values after the exercise intervention. Moreover, formal caregiver´s distress triggered by apathy, disinhibition and aberrant motor behavior increased in CG while after 6 months of an exercise intervention no alterations were seen regarding these distress causes in EG. No significant main effects were observed for total QoL-AD.Conclusions: Overall results show that after the exercise intervention, SwD from the EG, was capable of preserving the functional capacity and neuropsychiatric symptoms were attenuate, contributing to a lower load of distress for the caregivers.Trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04095962. Registered 19 September 2019, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04095962