Communal Activities Boost Rehabilitation for Older Adults in Long Term Care

A study in PLOS ONE assessed a new program in Japan demonstrating that participation and activity is crucial for rehabilitating older adults in long-term care communities, reports EurekAlert . "Participatory programs that encourage older patients to be active need greater emphasis in senior care communities," said former Tohoku University researcher Yoshihiko Baba. The Adachi Rehabilitation Program (ARP) nurtured participation in activities like gardening and shopping and was deployed at 13 small-scale, multifunctional, care communities in Tokyo. The study indicated that step counts increased on days participants went to parks and shopping centers, while participation in ARP also boosted step count even on non-session days. "ARP may have led to a behavioral change in which those under long-term care became more motivated to go out," suggested Baba.