Physical activity is important for everyone, including people who live care homes. We are all recommended to get 150 minutes of activity per week, and for older adults this should include twice weekly strength and balance exercises. For people who live in care homes, there can be benefits, but also challenges to achieving this target.
The benefits are the same as all older adults, including reducing falls, improving mood and well-being, and reducing the likelihood of many long term conditions. However it can also help with maintaining independence around and out with the home, and reducing care needs.
The challenges may include things like mobility or the need for assistance or supervision, equipment or technology. Things like dementia or difficulties with hearing, vision, balance, pain or movement do not need to stop people being active. These are all things that care homes and the services that support them can help with.
As well as everyday activities, like washing, dressing, and getting around, it helps if physical activity is something the person enjoys. If a person enjoys walking, dancing, gardening, exercise classes or bowling for example, there are often ways the care home can help the person to take part.
NHS approved exercise programmes suitable for different ability levels can be accessed online and where needed care home staff can provide supervision to do them.
The Care Inspectorate promotes meaningful activity for residents. A guide on resources can be found here, on the Care About Physical Activity (CAPA) page.
Indoor activities can be great, but if the weather and temperature is okay, there can be many health and social benefits to going outdoors and enjoying nature. Care homes can help with people going outdoors.
A number of physical activity resources can be sent to care homes by the Scottish charity Walking Scotland for a low cost:
- Care About Walking pack
- Way marking vinyl stickers
- Strength & Balance Vinyl Wall Stickers
- Strength & Balance Wall Vinyl Guidance
- Walking & Falls Cue Card
- Sit Less Move More Leaflet
Walking Scotland also has a number of freely available digital resources for care homes:
- The Care About Walking information booklet, activity record sheets and posters can be downloaded
- The strength and balance exercise toolkit, designed for all adults, can be downloaded, and if suitable can be done in a care home, with supervision if needed
- There are animated videos of strength and balance exercises that can be done with supervision if needed in the care home
- People living in care homes are welcome on Health Walks. Many are dementia-friendly and some include strength and balance exercises. You can find a local one on the Find a Health Walk map
- Residents may benefit from being in nature, which is shown to boost mood and reduce stress and anxiety. Nature is accessible to all, and can mean anything from your garden, to a local park or venturing out to a woodland, beach or trail.
Reduced Mobility
For residents with reduced mobility, there are organisations that can support them in accessing the outdoors.
Cycling Without Age is a charity that offers free bike rides on trishaws and wheelchair bikes for residents.
Beach Wheelchairs is a charity with wheelchairs and equipment on site at Portobello and North Berwick beaches to allow people with reduced mobility to access the beach.
Walking Aids
Residents in Edinburgh who may need a review of a walking aid may use NHS Lothian’s Physio@Home service.
Alternatively, a walking aid assessment can be made through the Disabled Living Centre at the SMART Centre.
People that live in care homes are welcome to be referred to local strength and balance classes in many areas, such as Balanced Life in Edinburgh. These classes are evidence-based to reduce falls. The referral would be by a healthcare professional, such as a physiotherapist, GP, nurse or occupational therapist and the person may need to be accompanied to the classes in local leisure centres.
Local leisure and community centres and sports clubs often have a variety of classes or sessions suitable for people that live in care homes that can be attended without a referral. They generally have accessible services, such as pools with hoists or steps, disabled parking, and accessible toilet and changing facilities. They are happy for people to be accompanied if needed. The classes in leisure centres are often called ‘Ageing Well’.
More information can be found on the Falls information pages, your health professional or your local leisure centre in East Lothian, Midlothian, West Lothian or Edinburgh.
