Residents more mobile, independent at Springdale
Tuesday, November 7, 2006 -- Natalie Miller
Residents at Springdale Country Manor have increased mobility and independence as a result of a team effort between restorative care staff at the long-term care home and its consulting physiotherapist.

Since kicking off a restorative walking program in the winter, which involves working one-on-one with nine residents daily, staff is seeing positive results, says Ann Dillon, life enrichment co-ordinator at the Springville nursing home.

“Our walking program is doing really well,” she says.

“It’s to maintain and increase their mobility.” Residents who are new to the long-term care home or have come from hospital are referred to the physiotherapist, who is in the home twice a week. Restorative care staff works in conjunction with the physiotherapist to design a program that suits those individual residents’ needs. Range-of-motion exercises and walks involving two-person assistance are part of the restorative care program. Once a resident progresses, he or she is referred to the daily restorative walking program.

The daily walking program involves one staff member matched with one resident who assists the senior by supporting the resident to walk to and from one meal a day. If it weren’t for the restorative program, the resident would be taken to meals in a wheelchair. This program aims at helping residents get the exercise they need to increase their agility, says Ann.

She says even with the two-person walking support with the physiotherapist, “We’ve seen an increase in how far they can walk,” she notes.

Staff works with the same residents for a period of several months. As a result, four residents in particular have made real progress, she says. “Most of them have gone from being portered in a wheelchair to walking with a walker on their own.”

Ann is currently working with physiotherapy on a revamp of the restorative care program that will include exercise programs for residents who are more agile, as Springdale has welcomed an increased number of these residents recently. A Pilates class, which Springdale already offered, is getting a second look. Ann says it wasn’t challenging enough for the residents who have greater physical abilities.

“Hopefully she’s going to be able to spend more time here,” says Ann about the physiotherapist.