JFK Medical Center’s H2U Newsletter Spotlights SeniorBridge’s Exercise and Fall Prevention Expertise
JFK Medical Center, a teaching affiliate of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine at FAU, featured the expert advice of SeniorBridge care manager, Cory Martin, in personalizing exercise programs to the unique needs of seniors with functional limitations. The article, which spotlights Cory’s success reducing fall rates and improving the ability to participate in daily activities. The conclusion: “Simply put, exercise can keep you alive, and out of the hospital!”
To read the article in the JFK Medical Center H2U newsleetter, click here.
To read more about Cory’s expertise, see the article below.
Exercise Programs for Senior Citizens: Do the benefits outweigh the financial cost?
By Cory Martin of SeniorBridge
It is the golden question that has haunted every exercise specialist in the senior citizen population for decades that could very well make or break a beautiful, healthy, working relationship…”Well, how much does it cost?”
The question itself is completely appropriate but it should not be the ultimate overriding factor when deciding if you are going to partake in an exercise program. The fact of the matter is that a professionally specialized exercise program that is individually based on a client’s particular needs is indeed priceless.
Longer Life
Simply put, exercise keeps you alive, and out of the hospital! According to the American College of Sports Medicine, higher fitness levels are associated with lower death rates from heart disease. High activity rates and fitness levels are associated with much lower incidence of cardiovascular diseases, coronary disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, osteoporotic fractures, as well as breast and colon cancer.
Fuller Life
Along with keeping you alive, healthy and out of the hospital, exercise also enhances and promotes independence. In other words, a fitness problem can help you stay out of a walker and wheelchair and keep you moving on your own two feet. Staying fit is the key to enjoying life and performing everyday tasks like going to the bathroom, showering, and cooking without the help of an aide. It allows you to play with your grandkids, walk with a friend, cook for a neighbor, or travel to see family, when some others are not so fortunate to do so.
Fall Prevention
Exercise has also shown to positively impact one of the more eye opening and devastating trends in the senior citizen population of late, which is falling. Approximately one out of three senior citizens fall each year! According to a very recent study through the American College of Sports Medicine, falls are the number one cause of injury- related deaths in the senior citizen population and are the most significant factor in causing disability. It’s sad to say that some of these fall victims could have prevented their incident with a proper exercise program.
The fact remains that exercise is still overlooked as a proven remedy in promoting a safer, healthier, happier lifestyle in the senior citizen population and should be a key component of most care plans. At SeniorBridge we develop holistic care plans that address the needs of our clients and believe in outcome studies as a means of benchmarking our progress. Our studies have demonstrated that as compared to national data, SeniorBridge clients have 80% fewer unnecessary hospitalizations, 90% fewer emergency room visits and 80% fewer falls.
We are proud of these data - particularly since SeniorBridge clients take an average of more than 10 medications and have limited capabilities with 3 activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing, dressing and walking as well as more than 5 independent activities of daily living (IADLs) such as meal preparation, money management and shopping.
Our greatest compliments come from the families we serve. In fact, 9 in 10 of our current clients say they recommend our services. We attribute much of our success improving outcomes to our approach of looking beyond disease management to focus on improving the functional health of our clients.
Without detailing all the financial expenses it could spare you (hospital visits, rehabilitation, pharmaceutical drugs), exercise is deemed priceless for the fact that you could never put a financial number on your own health!
Cory Martin is an associate care manager at SeniorBridge, a care management and home care company that specializes in helping people navigate the complexities of elder care. A former Strength and Conditioning coach for the New York Yankees and trainer for Florida Atlantic University’s Senior Citizen Wellness Program, Cory collaborates regularly with SeniorBridge nurse and social worker are managers to improve the quality of life of older adults. To learn more visit SeniorBridge.com or call (561) 338-9399.