TITLE:
Effects of Brain Stimulation in Group Activities on the Cognitive Function Improvement of the Elderly People in the Community Health Center of Bojonagara Area in Bandung Municipality
AUTHORS:
Lia Meilianingsih, Achmad Husni
KEYWORDS:
Brain Stimulation, Group Activity, Elderly
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Nursing,
Vol.9 No.8,
August
23,
2019
ABSTRACT: The success of development in the health sector has an impact on improving the health status and life expectancy of the people of Indonesia. Increasing life expectancy leads to an increase in the number of elderly people in Indonesia. Increasing the number of elderly population, on the one hand, is encouraging but on the other hand, it creates complex problems. Problems that are often faced by the elderly over time occur due to a process of decline that has an impact on changes in the structure and function of organs including the brain. These conditions have an impact on decreasing brain cell function which results in impaired cognitive function in the elderly. The aging affecting cognitive impairment will cause the elderly to have impairment in carrying out daily activities so that they will depend on others and eventually, their quality of life decreases. One of the efforts to resolve such issue is by maintaining and improving cognitive ability through brain stimulation. Optimum brain stimulation is combining physical, mental, social and spiritual stimulation into one activity. This research aims at finding out the “Effects of Brain Stimulation in Group Activities on the Cognitive Function Improvement of the Elderly People in the Community Health Center of Bojonagara Area in Bandung Municipality”. Quasi-experimental design is used in this research with Pre Post test control group design approach. Samples used are 36 people for intervention group and 36 people for control group. The sample is taken using purposive sampling technique. The intervention of brain stimulation is provided 3 times a week for 7 weeks. Brain stimulation is provided through brain gym, relaxation and dhikr. Data are analyzed using Wilcoxon and Mann Whitney. The research result indicates the effects of brain stimulation in group activity on cognitive function of the elderly people (p value 0.001). Therefore, it is suggested that the head of the community health center and the lead of elderly health programs apply brain stimulation as structured activity for elderly intelligent health in the working area of the Community Health Center.