Preliminary Study on the Effectiveness of Small Group Activities for Older Adults with Cognitive Decline: A Comparison of Social Interaction and Leisure Activities in Hospitals

This pilot study examined the effectiveness of group activities on older adults aged 65 years and older with cognitive decline who were hospitalized due to bone fractures. The study used a quasi-experimental pre/post-test design with non-randomized group assignment. The group activities, which included social interaction and leisure activities, were conducted twice weekly over eight sessions. Both activity groups showed significant improvement in occupational function and social interaction, with a large effect size. Additionally, the social interaction group showed improvements in behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia and occupational disruptiveness. No significant differences were found in all assessment tools between groups. With these preliminary results, future studies are warranted to conduct more precise and systematic surveys to rigorously examine the effectiveness and validity of these interventions.