Physical Activity in Nursing Homes—Barriers and Facilitators: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Purpose:To explore different institutional barriers to and facilitators of physical activity (PA) in nursing homes.Methods:Cross-sectional survey of 40 German nursing homes and 217 nursing-home residents (NHRs; M ± SD age 80 ± 10.2 yr, 55% women, MMSE ≥20). Quantitative data were collected on the structural characteristics of nursing homes and the PA services available.Results:Forms of exercise available were not adequately communicated to residents. Overall participation was below 50%. Awareness was significantly higher in residents with informed relatives (p = .003). A broad range of forms of exercise was generally available (M ± SD 5 ± 2.22, range 0–10), but they were rarely tailored to NHRs’ needs and their effectiveness remains questionable.Conclusion:Multidimensional opportunities to promote PA in NHRs are identified.

An Administrator's Perspective on the Organization of Physical Activity for Older Adults in Long-Term Care Facilities

“…This is in contradiction with previous studies where lack of appropriate material came up as a barrier as indicated by residents, staff, and administrators of LTCFs. 4,18,25 In our survey, 54% of the administrators reported that they organized education on PA for their staff in the past 2 years. In a German study, training for PA promotion was provided for nursing employees in 85% of the participating LTCFs.…”

“…3,4 Moreover, the frequency, duration, and content of the PA sessions are often not sufficient to be effective. 4 Sedentary behavior in older adults leads to a reduction of mobility, which can cause falls, fractures, and loss of function. 5 PA can counter major geriatric conditions such as frailty 6,7 and sarcopenia.…”

“…In an earlier qualitative study of the same research group, administrators described staffing and funding constraints as major barriers for organizing PA in LTCFs, as well as challenges in the built physical environment of the LTCF 20 but did not focus on potential motivators. In a study by Kalinowski et al,4 barriers and motivators for PA in LTCFs were investigated in administrators of 40 nursing homes in Germany and their residents. The results of this study suggested mainly barriers and motivators to PA regarding structural characteristics (eg, the presence of a garden or an outdoor area with places to sit) of the LTCF and the PA services that were provided.…”

The development of the MIBBO: A measure of resident preferences for physical activity in long term care settings

“…They are, on average, (even) less active than their peers living at home and, in addition, due to cognitive and communicative impairments, they are often difficult to stimulate to become more physically active. 7,8 The American College of Sports Medicine defines physical activity as 'body movement that is produced by the contraction of skeletal muscles and that increases energy expenditure'. 2 According to this definition, all sorts of routine activities in daily life have a 'natural' activity component.…”

Physical activity promotion in care homes

“…Therefore, many of these change barriers are considered 'modifiable' (Chen, 2009) with many solutions on how to practically overcome them (Kalinowski et al, 2012). Thus this level of understanding usefully informs the implementation and sustainability of LM.…”