This workshop was designed in response to the findings of an extensive research project conducted by the Centre. We discovered that, in many long-term care facilities, the image of exercise for the frail elderly and its importance in the continuum of care needs to be improved. Exercise must be seen as an integral component of healthy living and not just another recreational activity. To do this, staff require leadership training. In the 16 hour Long-Term Care Physical Activity Workshop, participants learn to design and implement safe, effective and challenging exercise programs for the frail elderly.
Emphasis is placed on maintaining or improving residents' balance, strength, and mobility.
This year, workshops have been held in Orillia, Durham, and twice in London. The Centre for Activity and Ageing, along with community partners, has successfully developed a home-based exercise program for those unable to access community facilities. The Centre and Kem Murch Productions produced a 16-minute video to describe and demonstrate the exercises. There are also training manuals and a four-hour workshop to help home support workers, volunteers, and caregivers instruct and monitor the exercises. In October, as part of the Canadian Association on Gerontology Conference in Halifax, HSEP training was delivered in two pre-conference workshops.