KARE - April Showers, May Flowers

Movement Is Medicine

Written by the KARE Team | Apr 8, 2024 1:55:10 PM

 

"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.  

"We often take a reactive or a medicinal approach [in caring for our seniors], when we could use movement as medicine [as] a more powerful approach.”

-Danae Mierau

Danae outlines six key impacts of using movement as medicine:

  1. Decreases Pain
  2. Decreases Wounds
  3. Solution for Cognitive Deficits
  4. Decreases Fall Risk 
  5. Maximizes Residents' Independence 
  6. 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!