People living with dementia and physical activity “Having a conversation”

  This week is Dementia Awareness Week. Working with local Alzheimer Society Service User Review Panels (SURPs) in England, Bob Laventure had a series of informal conversations with people living with dementia about taking part in physical activity. They talked about their views, interests and experiences and the challenges they face in taking up and/or continuing a range…

FaME (PSI) reduces falls even in low risk older adults (but not OEP) – Gawler et al. 2016

Sheena Gawler has published the results on falls reduction in a low risk population of older adults after a 6 month PSI intervention and a 6 month OEP intervention. Conclusions: Community-dwelling older adults who joined an exercise intervention (FaME) aimed at increasing MVPA did not fall more during the intervention period, fell less and had…

Referral Schemes to promote physical activity – NICE issues updated guidance

NICE PH54 guidance was reissued this September (2014). This guideline makes recommendations on exercise referral schemes to promote physical activity for people aged 19 and older. It is an update of recommendation 5 in ‘Four commonly used methods to increase physical activity‘ (NICE public health guidance 2). It focuses on exercise referral schemes that try…

Care…about physical activity. An article about physical activity promotion and engagement in care homes

Edith Macintosh and our very own Bob Laventure, have just published an article in “Working with older people” called “Care … about physical activity” in care homes in Scotland”. You can view the article online here, or download the article here. The purpose of this paper is to outline an approach being taken, to improve…

PSI sessions significantly increase habitual physical activity as well as reducing falls (ProAct65+)

New research published this week shows that FaME sessions delivered by PSIs to the general older population through primary care (not high risk fallers) for 6 months, significantly increased habitual physical activity (self reported moderate physical activity) by 15 minutes a day even a year after the intervention finishes. These sessions also significantly reduced the…

Functional Fitness MOT training – Impact Assessment 2014

The BHF National Centre for Physical Activity and Health have published their first year impact assessment on the Functional Fitness MOT training run in conjunction with Later Life Training and Glasgow Caledonian University. Download it now – Functional Fitness MOT impact assessment_GCU_LLT_BHFNCPAH_2014. The headlines are: The Functional Fitness MOT training programme has to-date reached over…

EfS Audit – County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust – Great results!

The Health Improvement Service at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust have just published their evaluation of the Exercise after Stroke Service delivered in a community venue during 2012-1013. The primary aim of the 12 week programme was to provide safe, effective, evidence based physical activity sessions to ambulatory stroke survivors who had completed…