Exploring Musculoskeletal Injuries Among Informal and Formal Carers of People With Dementia.

BACKGROUND: Carers of people with dementia manually handle the care recipients (eg, repetitive lifting, transferring, and pulling) as part of the care service, increasing the musculoskeletal injury risk to themselves. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries among informal and formal carers of people with dementia and the perceived associated risk factors. METHODS: Primary carers of people with dementia (26 males and 141 females) from Dementia Care Centers and Home Care programs completed a questionnaire providing information about (a) the carers' and their care recipients' characteristics, (b) musculoskeletal symptoms (via the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire) and related aspects, and (c) the caregiving activities exposing the carers to risk of musculoskeletal injury. RESULTS: Our results showed that 69.7% of informal and 86.7% of formal carers reported having more than 1 musculoskeletal injury, while 63.1% and 61.5%, respectively, reported having a musculoskeletal injury in the last year. Lower back had the highest injury prevalence (>10% for both groups). The 2 carer groups were not different in any of the variables. CONCLUSIONS: Our results reinforce calls for education and support of carers, regardless of their formal status, to enable injury-free and prolonged service provision.

Cultural Adaptation and Piloting of iSupport Dementia in Greece.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought into the spotlight the technological needs of carers together with accessibility and availability of disease-related web-based services. Athens Alzheimer Association undertook the cultural adaptation of the platform iSupport in Greece. The process included multiple methodological steps based on Ecological Validity Model, and the platform was pilot tested to 15 carers of people with dementia. The duration of this project lasted for one year (April 2020-March 2021). Today more than 160 carers in Greece have registered on the platform. All 23 lessons are easily accessible by the isupportdementia-greece website.

The effect of pacing strategy on physiological, kinetic and performance variables during simulated rowing ergometer.

BACKGROUND: This study compared the effects of self-selected (SSP), negative (NPS), and even pacing strategy (EPS) on performance time, and kinetic and physiological variables in overall 2-km rowing and in first and second 1 km. METHODS: Fifteen male rowers (15.37±1.34 years) realized four tests: an incremental test on a rowing ergometer to determine their VO2peak and three experimental 2-km rowing race, where first 1 km was manipulated. From SSP a negative pacing strategy, 4% slower than the mean velocity of SSP, and an even pacing strategy (EPS) with mean velocity of SSP, were developed. RESULTS: High stroke rate and better performance time were observed in SSP. Fstr and Fpeak decreased, whereas performance time increased, in SSP and EPS from first to second 1 km. However, performance time, stroke rate and Pst in NPS presented better values (P=0.001) with the exception of decreased stroke length (P=0.03). There was an increase in physiological responses in all pacing strategies from first to second 1 km (P=0.001). Performance time, stroke rate and Fstr were better in SSP and EPS compared to NPS in first 1 km (P=0.001). VE, VE/VO2, VCO2 were better in SSP and EPS compared to NPS (P=0.001) in both first and second 1 km. Stroke length was smaller in SSP compared to NPS and EPS in second 1 km (P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: SSP (parabolic-shaped profile) allowed rowers to cover the 2-km distance at higher stroke rate and in shorter performance time compared to negative and even pacing strategies presenting same physiological responses.