Comparison of sit-to-stand strategies used by older adults and people living with dementia

Physiotherapists routinely retrain sit-to-stand (STS) during rehabilitation using strategies such as sliding forward, moving the feet backwards, leaning forward, and pushing through the armrests. It is unknown if people living with dementia use the same strategies as other older adults and if a table positioned in front alters their performance. Twenty participants 65 years or older (10 with Alzheimer's disease or mixed dementia; 10 without dementia) performed six STS trials from a standard chair with armrests, including three trials without and three with a table in front. Trials were digitally recorded and the starting position and type and order of strategies used were rated by a blinded assessor. Starting position was similar between the groups. The most common strategy was leaning forward (119 out of 120 trials) while the least used was sliding forward (four out of 120 trials). People living with dementia used significantly more strategies (p = 0.037), pushed through the armrests more than older adults (p = 0.038) and moved feet backwards more frequently in trials without the table in front (p = 0.010). Presence of the table had no significant effect on STS performance of older adults (p > 0.317). Our results demonstrated that people living with dementia had a similar starting position but used more strategies to stand up, pushing through their arms more than older adults without dementia and moved their feet backwards more often when no table was in front. People living with dementia should be provided with chairs with armrests and space to move feet backwards.