"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:
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!