Outpatient rehabilitation for an older couple in a repopulated village 10 years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster:An embedded case study

BackgroundLittle information is available on the role of community-based rehabilitation after a nuclear disaster. Here, we report the case of an older couple living in an area repopulated after the Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011 who received outpatient rehabilitation.Case presentationAn 84-year-...

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Published inFUKUSHIMA JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE Vol. 70; no. 1; pp. 49 - 54
Main Authors Saito, Yuta, Sato, Sora, Nishikawa, Yoshitaka, Oguro, Fumiya, Moriyama, Nobuaki, Sato, Keiichiro, Kobashi, Yurie, Sawano, Toyoaki, Ozaki, Akihiko, Nakayama, Takeo, Tsubokura, Masaharu, Yasumura, Seiji, Sakai, Shohei
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Japan THE FUKUSHIMA SOCIETY OF MEDICAL SCIENCE 01.01.2024
The Fukushima Society of Medical Science
Subjects
Aged, 80 and over
Case Report
community dwelling
community healthcare
embedded case study
Female
Fukushima Nuclear Accident
Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
Humans
older adults
outpatient rehabilitation
Outpatients
Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
older adults
community dwelling
embedded case study
community healthcare
outpatient rehabilitation
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Summary:BackgroundLittle information is available on the role of community-based rehabilitation after a nuclear disaster. Here, we report the case of an older couple living in an area repopulated after the Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011 who received outpatient rehabilitation.Case presentationAn 84-year-old woman underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA) after she fell and sustained a trochanteric fracture while caring for her husband with Alzheimer's disease. The 85-year-old husband experienced worsening behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) following his wife's hospitalization. The couple received rehabilitation at an outpatient facility in a nearby village using a shuttle service. The woman’s postoperative anxiety was relieved and her physical function improved. Moreover, the husband's BPSD symptoms decreased.ConclusionA wife and husband showed improvement in physical function after THA and alleviation of BPSD, respectively, following rehabilitation. In post-disaster, resource-scarce areas, older adults may benefit from utilizing the outpatient rehabilitation services available in the surrounding area.
ISSN:0016-2590
2185-4610
DOI:10.5387/fms.2023-01