Hello everyone,

This Tuesday is the first day of Autumn, often referred to as “fall” as we see leaves falling and feel temperatures falling too. Fall also gets us thinking about…well…falls. This year especially, with residents staying in their rooms more due to COVID-19, and group exercises, family visits, outings and activities cancelled or minimized, residents may have lost strength and balance and be at a higher risk of falling. You may have been experiencing higher fall rates in your communities already.

JAMDA, The Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, recently published the results of a systematic review of research to see if exercise prevents falls in older adults. The authors found that single, multifactorial and multiple component interventions involving exercises may prevent falls. The study also found that “exercises that are individually tailored to participants’ capabilities and risks may be the most effective falls prevention interventions. Implementation may reduce medical costs and improve quality of life for older adults who are community-dwelling or are living in long-term care facilities.” Read more here: https://www.jamda.com/article/S1525-8610(20)30412-6/fulltext

Not much is certain in life these days, but we do know that exercise offers a multitude of benefits, include a potential to reduce falls, decrease pain, and improve mood, balance and mobility. What will your residents do for exercise today? Make it a goal to get a resident who doesn’t normally exercise to give it a try. Mix up your community’s exercise routine by adding new activities or putting a twist on old tried and true ones. Take a “dance break” during BINGO between each game and get everyone—including staff—to dance! Praise and encourage those who join in, and remind your residents of the benefits of activity.

Have a great week!