At Our Lady of Consolation, we create environments in our residential aged care facilities where people are supported to participate in physical activity and exercise, regardless of the level of care they receive.
There are a variety of exercise classes or exercise-based activities on offer across OLOC’s residential campus every week. The allied health team makes sure that each resident has access to an exercise class or activity that is interesting, challenging and rewarding.
The team also takes residents off-campus for specialised exercise programs like hydrotherapy.
The range of activities on offer are diverse and include exercise classes to build strength, simulated sports activities using Xbox Kinect, specialised exercise classes for people with dementia or acute health conditions and daily walking groups in the gardens.
We understand that exercise needs to be fun and relevant if people are to stay engaged.
We also have targeted classes that suit residents who have visited hospital for an extended stay; are living with chronic health conditions; or who have suffered a sudden decline in fitness or ability.
In this case a resident might be assessed as needing a more intensive Get Yourself Moving Program.
Get Yourself Moving programs are available to residents who are assessed as needing them, so they can do more for themselves, be stronger, or be more independent. These intensive programs can be particularly effective for residents who are recovering from an illness or an injury and who are eager to build on their level of ability.
The assessment helps identify where a program can make a real and positive difference. It gives the allied health team a baseline from which they can track a person’s progress and helps them to stay flexible to a person’s changing needs.
Depending on the outcome of their individual assessment a resident has open to them:
- More intensive group programs designed to restore people’s previous level of function wherever possible;
- Targeted exercise classes that improve balance, strength, flexibility or mobility;
- A pain clinic that offers treatment alternatives and access to a clinical psychologist for people with chronic pain conditions.
Get Yourself Moving programs bring together health, exercise and rehabilitation professionals who work directly with the latest equipment to help residents build strength, be more active and independent, achieve their goals and be more able to do the things they want to do.