Rehabilitation Strategy to Improve Physical Function of Oldest-Old Adults

Do, Hyun Kyung; Lim, Jae Young

Abstract

In recent, oldest-old adults over 85 years are increasing rapidly. Major geriatric problems such as frailty, fall, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, gait disturbance in this population are higher prevalent and more severe than those in older adults under 85 years. Therefore, strategy to evaluate and manage them with combined medical problems and related impairments should be considered to prepare for super aged society in the near future. We introduced comprehensive geriatric physical performance battery to examine a variety of physical function in multidomains, which can be applied to prescribe exercise, nutrition and medications as single or combined therapy specific to the level of physical function. It would be desirable that modality-specific exercise intervention to prevent from functional decline of oldest-old adults will be integrated with clinical setting. Eccentric biased strengthening exercise is highlighted as an appropriate exercise intervention for sarcopenic oldest-old because of low energy expenditure and utilization of the aged muscle stiffness. Furthermore, specially designed exercise machines enabling them to do exercise are developed for severe deconditioned patients that can't participate in the conventional strengthening exercise. Oldest-old adults are expected to become a major patient group in geriatric medicine sooner or later. Basic principles of management for oldest-old adults are not different from geriatric management of frailty and sarcopenia in general old population. Along with the assessment of the multidomain of physical parameters, multidimensional modality-specific interventions should be developed based on each individual physical profiles.