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Rehabilitation of Older Patients with Mental Disorders

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Rehabilitation Medicine for Elderly Patients

Part of the book series: Practical Issues in Geriatrics ((PIG))

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Abstract

The anatomical and histological changes that take place in the ageing brain can significantly impair the cognitive functions of elderly people, such as memory, learning and specific motor functions, affecting their autonomy and quality of life (QoL). Many factors appear to be involved in developing cognitive impairment in older people, including genetics, neuroendocrinology, lifestyle habits and nutrition, as well as social and cultural milieu.

Mental disorders are psychiatric diseases due to breakdowns in the adaptational process expressed primarily as abnormalities of thought, feeling and behaviour producing either distress or impairment of functioning. Dementia, delirium and major depression are the most common psychiatric conditions affecting elderly people.

The physiatric approach to elderly patients with mental disorders is holistic and patient centred, including the formulation of the individual rehabilitation plan (IRP) that has to be tailored to the cognitive (i.e. memory, attention, problem-solving, language) and non-cognitive impairments (i.e. neuropsychiatric symptoms), functional disability, social and cultural environment and quality of life.

Caregiver or family members should be considered as members of the care team for patients with cognitive decline. Moreover, the chronic physical and mental burden on caregivers (caregiver stress) needs to be addressed in order to improve the quality of care for elderly patients with mental disorders.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties and Dentistry, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy

    Raffaele Gimigliano, Antimo Moretti, Anna Mazzola & Giovanni Iolascon

  2. Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy

    Francesca Gimigliano

Authors
  1. Raffaele Gimigliano
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  2. Antimo Moretti
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  3. Francesca Gimigliano
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  4. Anna Mazzola
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  5. Giovanni Iolascon
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Giovanni Iolascon .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroscience, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, University of Padua, Padua, Italy

    Stefano Masiero

  2. IRRCS, Fondazione Ospedale San Camillo, Venezia, Italy

    Ugo Carraro

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Gimigliano, R., Moretti, A., Gimigliano, F., Mazzola, A., Iolascon, G. (2018). Rehabilitation of Older Patients with Mental Disorders. In: Masiero, S., Carraro, U. (eds) Rehabilitation Medicine for Elderly Patients. Practical Issues in Geriatrics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57406-6_41

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57406-6_41

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-57405-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-57406-6

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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