Physiotherapy plays an essential part in promoting and maintaining mobility for people in care homes as well as in their own homes.
Losing the ability to move freely and experience independence is a huge fear for a lot of people. As we age, these possibilities become a little closer to reality, and it can be difficult to know what you can do to keep your independence as time goes on.
There are a number of ways to increase mobility as well as ways to ensure that you don’t lose it in the first place.
One of my favourite sayings is 'if you don't use it you will lose it!'
How to Maintain and Increase Mobility
Firstly you will need to prevent the onset of mobility loss.
And once it starts to deteriorate, you will need to invest in ways to improve your mobility when it starts to go.
It’s important to understand that the body functions in a way that builds strength where strength is used and eliminates mass in places that aren’t used.
Our muscles atrophy and diminish when we’re laid up in bed for a few weeks, and those same muscles can grow to massive sizes if we work them out at the gym of a few years.
Similarly, our cardiovascular and nervous systems are benefited when we use our bodies regularly and establish healthy lifestyles.
In other words, sitting on a recliner chair for the better part of 5 years will only do harm to your mobility as time goes on.
So here are some tips to get going:
1. Daily Stretching
Establishing a well-rounded stretching routine.
Stretching allows your muscles to get woken up before their used. In a lot of cases, people who stretch regularly are more open to the idea of actually using those muscles because they feel more limber.
No one wants to work out or go for a walk if they’re feeling tight or sore.
And stretching your muscles regularly is an excellent safeguard against injury.
If you keep your body stretched and healthy, you’ll have a wider range of movement and your muscles will be more resilient to the normal wear and tear of daily life.
2. Cardio
A comprehensive health routine should include stretching, some form of strength training, and cardio. Cardio is one of the best mobility exercises for the elderly. The words “strength training” and “cardio” might seem a little scary to you right now if you’re not in the habit of exercising.
That said, there are always degrees to how much effort you exert or how difficult the exercises are. In terms of cardio, the real goal is to get your heart rate to speed up to a consistent rate for around 30 minutes, at least three times a week and this can be broken down into bite size chunks
Believe it or not, simply going on a light walk for half an hour or even 10 lots of 3 minutes counts as this exercise.
Another good thing to keep in mind is that walking regularly will help to establish your body’s ability to balance itself. As we ease into old age, our balance is one of the things that slowly diminishes. Just like everything else with the body, though, our balance can be improved if we use it regularly.
3. Strength Training
Strength training simply refers to a practice wherein you use your muscles in a repetitive way, typically with additional weight or resistance.
That could mean that you’re using dumbells or cans of beans to work your biceps or you’re working with a band and doing resistance training. You can also incorporate some coordinative exercises into your routine.
Practices like yoga tai chi dancing and pilates can help to establish and reinforce hand-eye coordination, as well as your general sense of coordination and balance.
If your goal is to maintain and increase mobility, what matters is that you show up regularly and are focused on the exercises while they’re happening. Sure, it’s best to have good form and work hard, but your body will absolutely benefit from these practices over time.
Improve Lost Mobility
If you’re starting to notice that your mobility is waning over time, now is the moment to start curbing that process.
Small losses in mobility that you notice may be improved by some of the ideas listed above. Stretches, exercises, and different physical practices should definitely have an effect on how your muscles progress. You may notice that specific muscles are having trouble, and it’s important to target those muscles in your exercises.
If you think that the process has gotten a little further along than you’d like, it’s smart to consult with a physiotherapist. There are a lot of options for you to explore.
Another thing to keep in mind is that mobility and independence are closely tied. If you think that your mobility has gotten to the state where you might find yourself suddenly without the ability to walk, you could be in danger.
In those situations, it’s crucial that you start consulting with your doctor. While the general practices listed in this article are beneficial, your physician will have more specific ideas on how to improve your particular loss of mobility.
Physio in your Home or your Care Home
Sammy Margo Physiotherapy provides highly skilled physiotherapists with extensive experience of visiting you in your home or in your care home.
Our Physios wear PPE as per government guidelines so that they may carry out COVID-safe visits
What do we treat?
Here is a list of pathologies that we treat:
Back and neck pain
Arthritis
Fractures
Post Surgery
Falls
Chest Infections
Strokes
Parkinsons'
Loss of Confidence
Balance Problems
Gait re-education
Generalised reduced mobility
How does Care Home Physiotherapy help?
Physiotherapists can help regain and improve mobility again, provide walking aids, improve strength and flexibility with exercise,falls prevention, coordination and improving daily function.
Care home staff are often very busy therefore not having the time to encourage walking and moving around. Our physiotherapists can help to keep mobility and strength at its maximum and regain any that may have already been lost. Physiotherapists can also visit you at your home or in a care home after an operation or fall and get your rehabilitation going and get you back on your feet as quickly as possible.
Falls Prevention
This is one of the most important things that Physios are working to do
On average, residents in UK care homes fall from two to six times a year.
The good news, however, is that interventions designed to reduce falls are effective.
A key recommendation is that residents’ safety could be improved if clinical information was shared more easily between GPs, pharmacists and other care providers including physiotherapists.
What about NHS Physiotherapy?
Due to exhaustive NHS costs the NHS will cover physiotherapy sometimes but usually there are long waiting lists and the appointments are very short and not frequent.
We are able to visit as often as is required.
How to organise an appointment
Please feel free to call us to discuss the details of what is needed.
One of our Senior Physios is happy to chat through your requirements and make recommendations
Our number is 020 7435 4910 or email physiophysio@hotmail.com
Please see this great leaflet from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
https://www.csp.org.uk/system/files/get_up_and_go_0.pdf
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