In conclusion, a quadriceps-strengthening exercise program
for treating OA of the knee is feasible with severely
demented elders. However, such an exercise program is labor
intensive and an expensive intervention because severely
demented elders will need to be closely supervised
by the staff. With the shortage of nursing staffs, many
nursing homes may not have the capacity to implement
the entire exercise program. We learned from this project
that severely demented elders are able to learn, able to follow
directions and able to participate in an exercise program.
Therefore, we suggest modifying the exercise
program to make it a group activity and teach demented
elders with OA of the knee to perform leg-extension exercises
without an exercise machine. Further investigation
will be needed to determine the effects of a modified exercise
program, and a better measure of pain is needed.