Asuman Öztürk

Effectiveness of a wheelchair skills training programme for community-living users of manual wheelchairs in Turkey: a randomized controlled trial:

Objective: To test the hypothesis that, in comparison with those in a control group, community-dwelling wheelchair users in Turkey who have completed the Wheelchair Skills Training Program have better total percentage performance and safety scores on the Wheelchair Skills Test. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Subjects: The study group comprised individuals (n = 24) who have to use a wheelchair for mobility in daily life. The subjects were randomly allocated to training (n = 14) and control groups (n = 10). Interventions: The training group attended a skill training session three times a week for four weeks. The control group did not participate in the training. Main outcome measures: At the beginning of the study, subjects underwent a Wheelchair Skills Test (version 4.1), which evaluated their performance and safety for a range of skills. The test was repeated at the end of the study. Results: The mean ± SD total percentage Wheelchair Skills Test performance scores increased significantly in both the training group (P = 0.002) and control group (P = 0.01), although the training group increased to a greater extent (P = 0.034). The training group’s mean ± SD total percentage Wheelchair Skills Test safety scores increased significantly (P = 0.001), but there was no significant change in the control group. A statistically significant improvement was found between the total percentage Wheelchair Skills Test safety scores in the training group compared with the control group (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Community-living wheelchair users who received wheelchair skills training increased their total performance and safety scores to a greater extent than a control group.

The relationship between physical, functional capacity and quality of life (QoL) among elderly people with a chronic disease.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between physical and functional capacity and quality of life (QoL) among elderly people who have a chronic disease. The study included 100 elderly individuals aged 65 years and older, who have a chronic disease. The study examined the marital and educational status, social security status, kind of chronic disease, number of chronic diseases and whether participants use assistive devices for walking. The Nottingham health profile (NHP) was used to evaluate QoL related to health; the physical mobility scale (PMS) was used to evaluate mobility in daily life and the functional independent measure (FIM) was used to evaluate functional independence in daily activities. In both female and male individuals, a statistically significant difference was found between the number of chronic diseases, kind of chronic disease, educational status, marital status, total FIM, PMS and NHP values (p<0.05). In males, there was a correlation between number of chronic illnesses and total NHP, FIM (p<0.05), but in females, there were no correlation between number of chronic illnesses and total NHP, FIM (p>0.05). There were no correlations between kind of chronic disease and PMS, NHP, FIM (p>0.05) in either of genders. It was found that there are differences among elderly female and male individuals with a chronic disease in terms of the number of chronic diseases, types of chronic disease, mobility level, functional status and QoL; and mobility level is related to functional capacity and QoL in females. It is thought that the rehabilitation programs to improve physical and functional capacity in elderly people and applications that increase participation in activities and reduce pain may improve QoL.

The effect of functional mobility and balance on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among elderly people living at home and those living in nursing home

The present study examined the effect of functional mobility and balance on HRQoL among elderly people living at home and those living in nursing homes. The study included 122 elderly people aged 65 and over. With regard to the individuals whose socio-demographic data were collected in the scope of the study, balance and functional mobility levels were evaluated using the timed up and go test (TUG) and Berg balance scale (BBS); HRQoL was evaluated using the Nottingham health profile (NHP); physical independence in daily activities was evaluated using the Barthel index (BI); and basic mobility in daily life was evaluated using the Rivermead mobility index (RMI). Statistically significant differences were found between the TUG, BBS and NHP values of the elderly people living in a home environment and those living in nursing homes (p<0.05). However, no statistically significant difference could be found between the BI and RMI values (p>0.05). A statistically significant relationship was found between the NHP and TUG, RMI, BI and the use of assistive devices in daily life activities (p<0.05). It is thought that the inclusion of functional mobility and balance training in elderly care and rehabilitation programs would be useful for the elderly people to develop functional independence and in increasing their HRQoL.

Complete Decongestive Physiotherapy for Older People With Chronic Venous Insufficiency

Introduction Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a major health problem that may adversely affect quality of life and may cause significant morbidity unless early diagnosis of the problem and the development and testing of new treatments are considered. In recent years, complete decongestive physiotherapy (CDP) has been preferred in the treatment of venous and lymphatic problems. This study presents the results of CDP on edema, pain, and daily activities of older people with CVI. Methods A total of 62 patients aged 59 to 68 years (mean 64.95 ± 2.54 years) were treated for CVI with CDP (manual lymph drainage, skin care, compression, exercise). The following parameters were investigated: leg circumference, pain intensity, impact of the problem on daily activities, and distance of pain-free walking. The volume and circumference were measured at 9 levels (metatarsus, ankle, above ankle, mid calf, below knee, knee, above knee, mid thigh, top of thigh) on the lower limbs, before and after CDP, using a Leg-O-Meter. Results Limb volume, pain intensity, pain-free walking distance, and effects on activities of daily living improved significantly following the treatment (P < .01). Conclusions CDP can reduce the volume of CVI-related edema and reduce the pain caused by this condition in older people.

The Effects of Pain on Health-Related Quality of Life and Satisfaction With Life in Older Adults

Purpose: This study was designed to investigate the relations between pain, health-related quality of life, and satisfaction with life in older adults above the age of 65 years. Subjects and methods: A total of 163 subjects, 58 (35.6%) females and 105 (64.4%) males, with an average age of 73.26 ± 6.58 years participated in the study. After gathering sociodemographic data, Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) was used to assess health-related quality of life. Satisfaction with life and level of pain were evaluated using Visual Analogue Scale. Results: Eighty-eight (54%) subjects reported pain that mainly originated from lower back, knees, and extremities with an average Visual Analogue Scale score of 5.75 ± 2.18. There were significant differences between older adults reporting pain and those who did not report pain in the aspects of satisfaction with life and NHP (total and all subscales) (P < .05). Also, severity of pain was found to have a negative effect on NHP and social isolation subscale (NHP) (P < .05). Conclusion: This study demonstrated the adverse impact of pain on quality of life. Pain is a significant problem and needs to be routinely assessed and treated in older-adult population.

Assistive Device Usage in Elderly People and Evaluation of Mobility Level

This study examined assistive device usage and mobility level among elderly people. The inclusion criterion was age 65 years or older; all participants were volunteers. Participants were investigated in terms of their the sociodemographic characteristics and their levels of mobility device usage in everyday life, as assessed by the Rivermead Mobility Index and the Physical Mobility Scale. The study included 58 (35.6%) women (mean age = 73.18 ± 6.62) and 105 (64.4%) men (mean age = 73.31 ± 6.59). It was found that 31% of women and 19% of men used an assistive device in their everyday life; there was no significant difference in device usage according to gender (P > .05). The most common device among men and women was a walking stick. There were no significant differences between men and women in terms of Rivermead Mobility Index and Physical Mobility Scale scores; the mobility level of men was higher than women (P < .05). Assistive device usage is important for elderly people in maintaining indoor and outdoor mobility in everyday life. Our results should be taken into consideration in the rehabilitation of elderly people, especially elderly women. The use of mobility assistive devices reduces injury risk and becomes an important factor in increasing life quality in elderly people.

The Relationship Between the Cognitive Functions, Daily Activities, and Mobility Levels of Elderly People Living in a Nursing Home Compared With Those in a House Environment

Objective: The aim of the present research was to determine the relationship between the cognitive functions and daily activities and mobility levels of elderly people living either in a nursing home or in a house environment. Methods: The present study includes 59 elderly individuals living in a house environment and 70 elderly individuals living in a nursing home. The Standardized Mini Mental Test (SMMT), the Barthel Index, and the Rivermead Mobility Index (RMI) were applied to sociodemographic data of the study participants. Results: The cognitive status of the elderly people living in a nursing home was found to be lower than that of elderly people living in a house environment (P < .05). A relationship was found between the sex, educational status, use of an auxiliary device, the RMI, and the SMMT in the elderly people living in a nursing home (P < .05). In the elderly people living in a house environment, no statistically significant relationship was found between the SMMT, RMI, and the Barthel Index, whereas a relationship was found between the SMMT and the level of education (P < .05). Conclusion: The results indicate that sociodemographic characteristics are related to cognitive functions in elderly people 65 years or older. It was found that the individuals with low cognitive functions prefer living in a nursing home.