Referring older adults to programs that support healthy living, strength and balance is a great solution for clinicians wanting to reduce the health impacts of COVID-19 for this vulnerable population.
NSW Health offers two free programs for older adults that support wellbeing and connectedness during lockdown.
- Healthy and Active for Life Online is a structured 10-week online program for older adults who are not currently active, but who can move around their own home without a walker.
- Get Healthy offers 6 months of free phone-based health coaching from a university-qualified coach. Get Healthy is suitable for adults who may or may not currently be active but who want to move more, eat better, drink less or lose weight.
Why keeping older adults active and connected matters
Older adults are vulnerable to isolation and deconditioning during lockdown periods, increasing their risk of poor physical and mental health.
Deconditioning is the loss of physical, psychological and functional capacity due to inactivity. This can occur rapidly in older adults. Deconditioning is not straightforward or quick to remedy and, among other health impacts, increases the risk of falls.
Research into the impact of lockdowns has found reductions of nearly 50% in the strength and balance activity of the 70–74 age group. Patterns of reduced physical activity during lockdown have been most pronounced amongst adults with multiple medical conditions.
Maintaining physical activity is important for the protective role it plays in mental wellbeing. During lockdown, 1 in 3 older adults experienced depression and 1 in 5 have experienced elevated anxiety and/or psychological distress.
‘We’ve had over 100 people in the Northern Rivers join these programs in the past month and are seeing great results,’ says Jillian Adams, Manager Health Promotion, NNSWLHD.
Northern Rivers resident Vicky, 63, says of her experience with Get Healthy: ‘I find my coach to be very motivating and lovely to speak to. I look forward to reaching my goals and to my phone calls from my coach to keep me going.’
You can request promotional materials for these programs by contacting the Health Promotion Team.
For information on how to refer to a range of local prevention programs, visit the NNSWLHD website.
Healthy and Active for Life Online
- Free online 10-week program.
- Designed for people who are not currently active but can walk in their own home without a walker.
- Includes:
- 10 self-directed healthy lifestyle modules
- a home exercise program
- weekly phone call from a trained coach.
- Available to people aged 60 years and over, and Aboriginal people aged 45 years and over.
Healthy and Active for Life runs each school term. Term 4 registrations close 24 September.
Get Healthy
- Free phone-based health coaching for up to six months.
- Support and motivation to set and reach goals.
- University-qualified coaches support goal setting based on participants current level of activity.
- Tailored programs are available for Aboriginal Australians, people at risk of Type 2 diabetes, alcohol reduction and pregnancy.
- Participants can join at any time.
- Open to anyone over 16 living in NSW.