Advanced Dementia with Lewy Bodies Showing Remarkable Improvement of Activities of Daily Living by Interventions in the Recovery Rehabilitation Unit / 日本農村医学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

    A 76-year-old woman with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) was transferred to our Recovery Rehabilitation Unit because of systemic muscle weakness due to disuse. She had been bed-ridden for about 6 months because of treatment for deep venous thrombosis and urinary tract infection. Weakness and features of parkinsonism were severe and she could barely turn over in bed. On admission, she needed considerable assistance to sit up and have meals. Her Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) score was 129 and Functional In de pendence Measure (FIM) score was 27 at the first evaluation. The doctor organized the dose of the drugs for DLB, and physical rehabilitation therapists performed repeated arm stretching exercises using Red Cord, raising the body, and standing exercises. Recreational activities such as ball-throwing games and singing songs gradually made her feel positive. She returned home on day 84 after admission. On discharge, she could stand and transfer to a wheelchair by slight assistance. The final evaluation showed that her UPDRS and FIM scores were 105 and 43, respectively. The outcome in this case suggests that adequate interventions in recovery rehabilitation units can improve ADL in patients with advanced neurodegenerative disease.