Scottish care homes aim to make residents more active

A thousand care homes in Scotland are being asked to join a campaign to encourage physical activity for older residents.

Scotland’s social care watchdog, the Care Inspectorate, has launched a new multimedia 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.

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 they get older.

Now the Care Inspectorate, in partnership with the British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health at Loughborough University, has launched a multimedia resource pack to support those who work in the care sector and 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 initiative. 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, agreed, and added: “As Scotland’s social care watchdog we have a duty to ensure that everyone who uses a care service receives good quality care that meets their needs and respects their choices and rights.

“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.”

Edith Macintosh, the Care Inspectorate’s Rehabilitation Consultant, said: “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 pack provides principles and a self-improvement framework for care homes, including advice on physical activities, a DVD and a pocket guide to active living.

It is designed to stimulate simple solutions and practical approaches to enable all residents to choose to be active every day.