Physiotherapy for people with dementia: a Call to Action for the development of clinical guidelines

Dementia is a leading cause of disability and dependency worldwide, with major physical, psychological, social, and economic impacts on individuals, families, carers, and society. Population ageing will see the number of people living globally with dementia rise substantially, from approximately 57 million cases in 2019, to a projected 153 million cases in 2050. The physical, cognitive, and functional disability associated with dementia equates to enormous costs of care globally, with informal care provision accounting for approximately 50% of the estimated US$1.3 trillion dementia cost in 2019.

Individuals with dementia have higher rates of physical health issues, and are significantly more sedentary and less physically active, than people without dementia...