Physical activity is important for the health and wellbeing of older people, and more so - meaningful physical lifestyle activities for seniors is important to increase life satisfaction.
Vivatree offers a range of meaningful movement and exercise classes and programs for seniors in aged care centres, retirement villages, and nursing homes. Our seated exercise programs for seniors focus on balance training, chair workouts, and improving strength and circulation.
To motivate older adults to participate, our programs are enjoyable, offer social interaction and are tailored to the individual’s functional ability and interests, including working with people living in Memory Support Units.
Our classes and programs are led by trained professionals who are friendly and trusted by older adults. With regular classes, the instructors have the chance to build rapport and trust with your residents, enhancing engagement and the overall success of the programs.
What is physical activity?
Physical activity is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure and includes activities for leisure, transportation, or as part of a person’s occupational duties. [1] Participating in physical activity is particularly important for older adults to maintain mobility and physical function. Guidelines suggest that adults over the age of 65 should participate in physical activities focusing on cardiovascular fitness, balance, and strength training at moderate intensity or higher for 30-minutes at least three times a week. [1] However, being physically active can be challenging for older people because of age related changes such as reduced muscle mass, flexibility, and an increased number of chronic health conditions. [2] Therefore, aged care services need to provide physical activities that individuals are interested in and that support participation for those with declining functional abilities.
Meaningful physical and lifestyle activities in aged care
What makes specific physical activities ‘meaningful’ to older adults will be unique to the individual and dependent on factors such as personality, interests, and life history. When a person is unable to participate in a physical activity that they find meaningful, this can affect their mood and leave them with a reduced sense of satisfaction with life. [3]
Factors preventing participation in meaningful lifestyle activities for seniors
Older adults in aged care report that physical limitations, pain, fear of falling, and other comorbidities can prevent them from participating in lifestyle activities in aged cares they previously enjoyed. [5]
Other barriers reported include:
Staff safety concerns for residents with poorer health
Lack of appropriate spaces to perform physical activities
A lack of staff availability to provide and support physical activities
Low motivation of staff and older adults to participate. [5]
Factors promoting participation in meaningful lifestyle activity
People could be encouraged to successfully participate in physical activities by programs tailored and adapted to their own capabilities. Other factors shown to encourage and motivate older adults to participate include:
Programs delivered by familiar staff members capable of supporting individuals to participate and to be successful in their activity
Social recognition and encouragement from others
Enjoyable activities that include social engagement with others in a group (although this was not a motivating factor for all aged care residents)
Physical activity connected to functional tasks and continued independence. [4, 5]
What can an aged care organisation do to support lifestyle activities for seniors?
Organisations can support the integration of meaningful physical activities into aged care by:
Contacting our helpful team at Vivatree! *Link to contact us page
Survey your residents to identify which programs have the highest interest.
Carry out assessments to determine the abilities of individual aged care users. Vivatree can offer programs that cater to all levels of mobility and cognitive ability.
Provide appropriate environments to support programs offering meaningful physical activities to all older adults.
Assess your Lifestyle and Wellbeing calendars and schedules and identify the times and days where attendance will be greatest, and easiest for the residents to attend.
References
1. World Health Organisation. Physical activity [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2020 [cited 2022 Jul 1]. Available from: www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physicalactivity
2. McPhee JS, French DP, Jackson D, Nazroo J, Pendleton N, Degens H. Physical activity in older age: perspectives for healthy ageing and frailty. Biogerontology. 2016;17(3):567-80.
3. Matarese M, Mauro L, Notarnicola I, Cinque A, Bonacci S, Covelli G, et al. Experiences of health care personnel with promoting a sense of home for older adults living in residential care facilities: a qualitative systematic review. JBI Evid Synth. 2022;11:11.
4. Maurer C, Draganescu S, Mayer H, Gattinger H. Attitudes and needs of residents in long-term care facilities regarding physical activity-A systematic review and synthesis of qualitative studies. J Clin Nurs. 2019;28(13-14):2386-400.
5. Vseteckova J, Deepak-Gopinath M, Borgstrom E, Holland C, Draper J, Pappas Y, et al. Barriers and facilitators to adherence to group exercise in institutionalized older people living with dementia: a systematic review. Eur. 2018;15:11.
6. Cordes T, Schoene D, Kemmler W, Wollesen B. ChairBased Exercise Interventions for Nursing Home Residents: A Systematic Review. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2021;22(4):733-40.
7. Guzman-Garcia A, Hughes JC, James IA, Rochester L. Dancing as a psychosocial intervention in care homes: a systematic review of the literature. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2013;28(9):914-24. Cite as: ARIIA Knowledge & Implementation Hub. Physical Activity: Meaningful Lifestyle Activities. Evidence Theme. Adelaide, SA: ARIIA; 2022.
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