Evaluation of Group Movement Programs (PLIÉ and Paired PLIÉ) for people with memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease or dementia

Today, one in ten people ages 65 and older have Alzheimer’s dementia. This serious condition often causes great suffering among affected individuals and their families, and there are no medications that stop or slow the disease. It is therefore important to evaluate alternative interventions that may benefit both patients and their care partners. Preventing Loss of Independence through Exercise (PLIÉ) and Paired PLIÉ are group movement programs that combine neuroscience and integrative medicine for individuals with dementia. We analyzed data from [N=39] anonymous evaluation surveys performed as part of two ongoing randomized control trials. Survey data included general questions on how the intervention affected care partners and their loved ones. Written responses were classified as either positive or negative. Word cloud was then used to identify the most common themes. Most common themes among the positive feedback were health, enjoyment, social cohesion and reduced caregiver stress/burden. Common themes among negative feedback were time constraint, no change, accessibility, and increased responsibility. Outcomes in each category were counted for a final sample of 71 responses. One-sample test of proportions using STATA compared over-all ratio of positive feedback to the null (Ho: p = 0.5). Results show PLIÉ was beneficial for individuals with dementia and their care partners (Z-score = 2.02 | P-value = 0.0216)