| Objective：To explore the effect of play therapy conducted by medical social workers on delaying the cognitive decline and improving the self-efficacy of elderly patients with cognitive impairment. Methods：A total of 80 elderly patients with cognitive impairment who were in the ward of a hospital in Beijing from June 2021 to February 2022 were selected. According to the random number table, they were divided into control group (n=39) and experimental group (n=41). The experimental group was treated with routine nursing and board game program of 10 sessions by social workers, and the control group was treated with routine nursing. Before and after intervention, the mini-mental state examination scale (MMSE), clock drawing task (CDT), Philadelphia Geriatric Centermoral scale（PGCMS） and geriatric depression scale-15（GDS-15） were used to evaluate the cognitive function and self-efficacy of patients. Results：Before the intervention, the scores of MMSE, CDT, PGCMS, and GDS-15 between the two groups were not statistically different. After 3 and a half weeks of intervention, the scores of MMSE, CDT and PGCMS in the experimental group were higher than those before intervention, and the scores of GDS-15 were lower than those before intervention (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the scores of MMSE, CDT and PGCMS in the experimental group were increased, and the scores of GDS-15 decreased (P<0.05). Conclusion：Board game programs performed by social workers can improve the cognitive function and effectively reduce patients’ negative emotions, and improve self-efficacy. |
