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Discover the importance of movement as medicine, as discussed by DPT Danae Mierau. Learn how proactive care can benefit seniors' health and caregivers' abilities to provide care.
"The reward of being proactive… outweighs the consequences [of not moving],” says Danae Mierau, Physical Therapist, Regional Vice President at KARE, and overall super woman. In this video, Danae discusses her primary concern as a former executive director of a memory care community: seniors are not receiving the physical activity needed to remain healthy, happy, and independent.
Danae outlines six key impacts of using movement as medicine:
- Decreases Pain
- Decreases Wounds
- Solution for Cognitive Deficits
- Decreases Fall Risk
- Maximizes Residents' Independence
- Keeps Residents Happy
In Danae’s third point, Movement as Medicine to Decrease Fall Risk, Danae exclaims “if you’re not using it, you’re losing it.” (T-shirts with the slogan coming soon 😉). When a resident is inactive, the likelihood of a fall increases, which not only negatively affects the resident but raises the burden of care on the caregiver.
Danae challenges the viewer, “What are two ways that you can… engage [your seniors] in increased movement as medicine versus first or always turning to medication or other interventions?”
Share your two ways in the comment section below. Drop a 🌧️ emoji if you’re committed to getting your seniors more active!
Meet the Expert:
Danae Mierau
Physical Therapist, Regional VP at KARE
A driven changemaker in the senior living industry, Danae is currently the General Manager at KARE, which is the leading solution to solve the labor shortage in senior care. Prior to KARE, Danae was an executive director of a memory care assisted living community and is a physical therapist that specializes in geriatric care. As a previous administrator, Danae is passionate about creating solutions for staffing in senior living to elevate our care force and decrease turnover, not only of frontline caregivers, but of DONs and administrators as well. Danae and her husband are expecting their first child, a baby girl, any day now and look forward to embarking on the journey of parenthood. In her free time she enjoys scrapbooking, crossfit, traveling, and hosting gatherings for family and friends.
