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27.01.17

Amaven pilot in senior residential care homes

Older ladies exercising while sat down

Over the past  six months, St Johns Court and Housman Court have been using the Amaven system to measure, track and improve the bio-motor abilities of many of the older adults in their care. Earlier this week, the Amaven team travelled to Bromsgrove, near Birmingham, to meet the two residential homes piloting the Amaven Seniors activities programme. 

As well as monitoring the health of the residents, the staff from both residential homes have been improving the physical activity levels of the residents by delivering the activity sessions provided by the programme. After hearing so much positive feedback about the programme, we couldn’t wait to meet the residents and learn how the physical activities have impacted their health and wellbeing. 

St Johns Court 

The larger of the two residential homes, St Johns Court is a nursing home with over 40 residents who suffer from a range of age-related conditions. They were recently awarded an outstanding rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC)) and are the only nursing home in Worcestershire to achieve such a high rating (only six homes in the country have achieved this overall). 

Some of the residents participating in the Amaven programme suffer from conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis and many are survivors of strokes. A high number of residents are very restricted physically and not mobile enough to stand and perform the exercises, however all the residents were happy to take part in the sessions seated in their chairs and participate in some way. St Johns Court are currently holding group activity sessions three times a week plus staff also regularly get residents moving on a one-to-one basis.

It was brilliant to watch Heather, the activities co-ordinator, deliver the session and get the residents excited about the movements. Heather explained that since starting the programme six months ago, many of the residents had become more mobile and could do more for themselves, such as putting on their cardigans and reaching for objects. We also spoke to some of the residents, including 71-year old Michael who had suffered a stroke and lost the use of his left arm. Michael explained that he enjoyed the activities and he found the social aspect of the group sessions very appealing. 

While Heather confessed that using the computer wasn’t her strong point, she admitted she was getting the hang of using the platform to track the residents’ health statistics. She also found the graphs very useful to instantly assess a resident and quickly remind herself of their needs. 

Tania Swift, Amaven Senior Programme Leader, commented on how the programme has supported the CPD of the St Johns staff: “It has been exciting seeing how the Amaven Seniors programme has supported the staff at St Johns Court Nursing Home to really be aware of the overall health and specific needs of the people they care for and how to support them to be healthier and happier.”

Housman Court

Around the corner is Housman Court, a smaller care home which specialises in caring for older adults with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Many of the residents were more mobile than those at St Johns Court and could stand alone, but they needed additional care and support due to their cognitive impairments. The Amaven team completed health screenings with some of the residents and an activity sessions provided by the activity coordinators, consisting of movements to music which the residents enjoyed very much. 

We had a fantastic day meeting the staff and residents of St Johns Court and Housman Court. It’s evident that both homes are passionate about improving the quality of life for older people, especially when it comes to reducing the risk of falls and frailty. Falls are one of the most common reasons for hospitalisation among older people in the UK and they can mark the beginning of ongoing health problems such as dementia and frailty. 

Keep your eyes peeled for some upcoming videos of the day and don’t forget to sign up for our mailing list to stay up to date with Amaven news.