Reduction in Quality of Life from Lacking Exercise

The Impact of Physical Inactivity in Long-Term Care Settings during Covid- Pandemic: Case Study of Residents in Edmonton General Continuing Care Center (EGCCC), In Edmonton, Alberta Canada

Research Prediction and Outcome

Desired Outcomes

The purpose of the study is to determine if there has been any considerable deterioration in the health of vulnerable people located in EGCCC due to the lack of physical activity during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study will demonstrate how the reduction/elimination of physical activity by the residents of EGCCC during the pandemic resulted in their decreased quality of life. Elderly residents need physical activity to improve their overall health and reduce muscle mass deterioration as they age (Izquierdo, Duque, & Morley, 2021). With the study results, improvements in older adults’ physical activity in LTC’s will increase even with the current Covid-19 pandemic. The study will make recommendations to prevent recurrence of physical inactivity and establish necessary guidelines for future pandemics ensuring vulnerable populations maintain physical activity. Exercise regimens should never be removed regardless of the requirements placed on institutions caring for the elderly. Eliminating exercise for the old and frail leads to reduced quality of life and increases the chances of the resident’s health deteriorating.

Benefits

The study will ensure that if we are faced with another pandemic requiring social distancing and isolation, the elderly residing in LTC’s will not be denied the chance for physical activity. Without physical activity, the elderly individual’s health tends to deteriorate and reduce their overall life span, making them highly prone to diseases (Aubertin-Leheudre & Rolland, 2020). Sedentary lifestyles lead to increase mortality in older adults. Therefore, the study will increase our knowledge regarding the impact of physical inactivity on older adults in LTC. The project will recommend changes that other LTC’s can implement to ensure they implement exercise regimens for their elderly population during a pandemic and in general. The healthcare workers in LTC facilities will receive additional training equipping them with skills for conducting physical activity exercises for periods when the facility is in isolation.

Goals and Objectives

The project’s overall goal is to recommend changes in physical activity for older adults in LTC. The study aims to demonstrate how a lack of physical activity at EGCCC resulted in the deterioration in the quality of life for the residents and increased their all-cause mortality risk. Analyze the residents’ health data before the pandemic and compare it to the residents’ health data after the pandemic. Identify exercises that can be implemented in LTC facilities to improve the health of older adults and reduce the risk of muscle frailty. Increase knowledge in the literature regarding the impact of physical inactivity during a pandemic. The study results will assist in formulating policy changes where there is a recommendation of social distancing and isolation.

Study Variables

The variables to be considered for the study are the level of physical activity, the resident’s health, muscle mass, and mortality rates of the LTC after the pandemic. Physical activity would be a measure of how active the residents have been before the pandemic and their level of physical activity after the pandemic. The data will assist in determining if there was any loss in physical activity and its impact. The health of the residents establishes if there has been any reduction in the overall health of the residents due to the lack of physical activity. There might be numerous causes for the deterioration of health in older adults. Therefore, we should determine the cause of health deterioration. Muscle mass can be measured after the pandemic and compared to the figures before the pandemic. Muscle mass gives an accurate figure demonstrating if there has been a reduction in muscle due to the lack of physical activity, which can be directly linked to the pandemic. Mortality rates caused by a lack of physical activity are vital to establishing the effect of physical inactivity in reducing the lifespan of older adults.

Data Collection

Data collection would be through interviews and observations. The healthcare workers in the LTC facility would be interviewed to determine if there was any physical activity they implemented during the pandemic. The older adults could be questioned to assess their overall health before and after the pandemic. Observation of the older adults will be done to see how active they are and determine their physical health. The older adults could be observed as they perform their daily activities to see how well they perform a task and how many struggle to perform a simple task like walking. These data collection methods are both qualitative.

Study Impact

The study will offer the community additional knowledge on the impact of physical inactivity during a pandemic. Increasing the knowledge, we have allowed for further research and policy changes where in case of another isolation order, we can have guidelines in place that will guarantee older adults continue to receive their exercise regimens in a safe environment. The community will better understand the importance of physical activity for the older adults residing in LTC facilities and even those living at home. Overall, the study will increase the push for exercise for all adults aged 60 years and over with or without a pandemic.