Exercise works out well for the elderly

By MARTIN JOHNSTON health reporter

A study of elderly people aims to prove that personalised rehabilitation and exercise programmes not only reverse age-related declines in ability, but allow the elderly to be independent for much longer.

Residents of six Auckland resthomes are being helped to identify and achieve key goals and do more physical activity as part of the Auckland University study.

They will be compared with 80 others in the same homes who are not given the extra help.

One of the researchers, senior nursing lecturer Dr Matthew Parsons, said the initial results had showed improved life satisfaction and independence.

He said older people in resthomes and private hospitals had gradually become more dependent.

The proportion of the population aged 65 or older is expected to more than double, to 25 per cent, between 2001 and 2020. Six per cent of people over 65 and a quarter of those over 75 now live in resthomes or private hospitals.

Dr Parsons said the study was an extension into resthomes of the established principle that individualised rehabilitation and exercise programmes reversed many of the age-related declines in mental and physical functioning.

Westharbour Lodge in West Auckland is one of three ElderCare resthomes taking part in the study, which started in 2001.

It began at Westharbour in February and will run there for several months.

Staff are keen to extend the concept to all the home's 40 residents.

"Psychologically it's a huge boost for those who are joining in and setting goals," said nurse-manager Linda Venables.

People in the "intervention" group at some of the resthomes have set physical or mental goals such as resuming playing the organ, walking to a local library or shopping centre, and learning about computers.

They are also helped to undertake an individually tailored, low-intensity programme of exercises such as lifting "weights" - plastic milk bottles partly filled with water.

Healthcare assistants are trained to enable residents to become more independent in doing daily tasks.

ElderCare nursing director Diana Spratt-Casas said this was a reversal for some nurses and caregivers.

"Their nurturing way would sometimes make people more dependent."

A resident who scrubbed his or her own back instead of having a carer do it might gain more flexibility in the arms, she said.

"Already we are seeing people moving ahead very quickly, motivated to do things, to achieve things, most of it related to mobility - getting around, going places, being able to get in and out of cars.

"It's giving them a quality of life that's much better than might have been expected. This gives them a real focus, which will motivate them."

Marion McMurdo, Dundee University professor of ageing and health, wrote in the British Medical Journal that by age 80, about half of the average person's muscle mass had been lost.

Elderly people often hovered just above the threshold of being unable to do basic activities, such as rising from an armchair. Illness might render a previously healthy 80-year-old immobile and dependent.

"There is, however, substantial evidence that lost fitness can be regained with regular physical activity, even in extreme old age."

Mrs Venables said the trial programme at first required more staff time, particularly to ensure residents complied with their exercise plans.

In the future it was expected to reduce "staffing input" - although not the number of workers, as allowing residents to do more for themselves required more time since they were often slower.

Eldercare says it will incorporate the research findings into all its resthomes and hospitals.

On the move trial

Aims to get elderly resthome residents on the move - mentally and physically.

Early results are encouraging.

Eldercare plans to extend findings into other care facilities.