Best Practices: Helping Older Adults Get Moving Maria Avalos, BS, CHES Health and Wellness Coordinator West Central Florida Area Agency on Aging, Inc. Bill Browning Management Consultant Alisa Phillips, MHA Planning/Innovation Analyst Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio
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Best Practices: Helping Older Adults Get Moving · Best Practices: Helping Older Adults Get Moving Maria Avalos, BS, CHES Health and Wellness Coordinator West Central Florida Area
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Best Practices: Helping Older Adults
Get Moving
Maria Avalos, BS, CHES
Health and Wellness Coordinator
West Central Florida Area Agency on Aging, Inc.
Bill Browning
Management Consultant
Alisa Phillips, MHA
Planning/Innovation Analyst
Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio
Research on the benefits of PA
Active For Life studies - ALED
• Significant increases in moderate-
to vigorous-intensity physical
activity
• Decreased BMI
• Decrease in depressive symptoms
• Decreased reports of perceived
stress
Research on the benefits of PA
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Arthritis study
• Reflected diverse ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic status
• 86% of participants reported that they were more physically active than before they started the course
• 71% reported ALED excellent or good in reducing pain and stiffness
• Active Living Every Day now one of only 5 physical activity interventions included in CDC Arthritis Program
Research on the benefits of PA
Administration on Aging grant - ALED
• Focused on recruitment strategies based on the trans-
theoretical model (TTM)
• Motivation to enroll in Active Living Every Day significantly
influenced by TTM-based proactive recruitment methods
• Stated motivation factors: motivation to exercise, physical
activity ideas from peers, social engagement, and trust in
sponsoring organizations’ staff and programs
Research on the benefits of PA
Chronic Disease Self-Management Program
• Greater energy/reduced fatigue
• Improved health status
• Greater self-efficacy
• Reductions in healthcare
expenditures
Research on the benefits of PA
A Matter of Balance
• Increased confidence in ability
to manage falls risk
• Concerns about falling interfere
less with social activities
• Increased levels of physical
activity
Research on the benefits of PA
ActiveStart – combines ALED and ExerStart
• Improvements in functional
fitness
• Increase in levels of physical
activity that were maintained
• Greater confidence in the ability
to exercise more on their own
Research on the benefits of PA
Tai Chi
• Reduce anxiety and depression
• Increase balance, flexibility, and muscle strength
• Relieve chronic pain
• Improve overall feelings of well-being
How do you choose an appropriate
physical activity program?
When choosing a program, wellness
strategy should be
• Well-documented
• Evidence-based
• Especially important with
disease management
programs
Why choose evidence-based
programs?
• Better for grant funding
• Some grants require
programs be evidence-based
• Offers accountability and
integrity
• Helps sell programs to hospitals
and other community programs
• Reassures participants
Getting your program startedPartnerships
• Securing partners
• Look at relationships you’ve already established in the community
• Take advantage of positive word of mouth
• Importance of ongoing communication
• Different partners for different
roles
• One partner to donate class
space, another to help lend
credence, etc
• Establish roles early on
Getting your program started
Marketing
• How do you promote programs and recruit participants?
• Build on momentum of local initiatives
• Answer the questions, ―What’s in it for me?‖
• Differences in marketing exercise programs vs. behavior
modification programs
• Consider stage of readiness to change
• Set expectations; fully describe the approach
Getting your program started
Motivating participants
• Consider stages of readiness to change
• How do you work with groups that include people in different stages?
• Social aspects
• Find champions among target audience
• Enthusiastic participants make great recruiters
Getting your program started
Motivating participants
• Staff considerations
• Positive attitude among all staff involved
• Good instructors are key
Program Management
Pre- and post-program evaluations
• Why are evaluations important?
• Pinpoint health issues/concerns
• Evaluate readiness to change
• Allow participants to see improvements
• Training staff to properly conduct evaluations
• Overcoming participant barriers to completing evaluations