A THOUSAND care homes in Scotland are being asked to join a campaign to support physical activity for older residents.
Scotlands' social care watchdog, the Care Inspectorate, has today launched a new multi-media resource pack to help care home residents keep active.
The watchdog says research shows that taking part in regular, simple physical activities can bring a host of healthy benefits. Care About Physical Activity Image
Something as simple as making a cup of tea, going for a walk or taking part in a spot of gardening can make all the difference when it comes to helping people enjoy a better quality of life, especially as people get older.
And now the Care Inspectorate, in partnership with the British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health at Loughborough University, has launched a multi-media resource pack to support those who work in the care sector encourage physical activity as part of every resident’s daily life.
Launching the resource at Kincarrathie House care home in Perth, Scotland’s Minister for Public Health, Michael Matheson, said:
"I’m delighted to be launching this inititative. Research tells us that keeping active can help boost people’s quality of life, and that taking part in regular physical activity gets more important as people get older.
"This resource will help care services across Scotland find practical ways to build regular physical activity into the daily lives of thousands of people.
"People who use care services often just need a little bit of support to keep active and experience a better quality of life. This pack is a great way to help services to do that."
Annette Bruton, Chief Executive of the Care Inspectorate, said: “As Scotland’s social care watchdog we have a duty to ensure that everyone who uses a care service receives good quality care which meets their needs and respects their choices and rights.
“We know that some people in care just need a little help to keep active, and that keeping active can often mean taking part in simple activities like making their bed, helping to prepare a meal, or going for a short walk.
“When people are supported to take part in activities of their own choosing, we know it can make a huge difference to their quality of life.
“The majority of the services we regulate perform well. Encouraging and supporting people who use care services to remain active is one of the ways we can all ensure that standards of care across Scotland continue to improve.”
Edith Macintosh, the Care Inspectorate’s Rehabilitation Consultant, added: “The total amount of activity people are supported to take part in is the key to obtaining many physical, emotional and social benefits.
“For many care home residents, it can be achieved in short but regular bouts of physical activity on a daily basis.
"Taking part in any amount of physical activity will provide some essential benefits to both physical and mental health and some physical activity is always better than none.”
Based on the World Health Organization model of ‘Health Promoting Settings’, the resource provides principles and a self-improvement framework for care homes.
It is designed to stimulate simple solutions and practical approaches to enable all residents to choose to be active every day.
Notes to Editors
The resource pack is based on current good practice and includes:
A booklet with:
An introduction to the resource, an introduction to physical activity in care homes and, how to make improvements.
- The physical activity self assessment tool and guidance for its use.
- A description of the three key principles to promote physical Activity.
- A DVD to support implementation of the resource pack.
- Make Every Move Count – a pocket guide to active living
- A call to action poster
- Physical activity and self assessment tools