Case Study of Residents in Edmonton General Continuing Care Center EGCCC In Edmonton Alberta Canada

SIGNIFICANCE AND SUMMARY

The Impact of Physical Inactivity in Long-Term Care Settings during Covid-19: Case Study of Residents in Edmonton General Continuing Care (EGCCC) in Edmonton, Alberta Canada

Significance and Summary of Study

Physical activity strengthens muscles and the entire skeletal system of the human body. Exercise for elderly people is recommended to engage themselves in planned and repetitive physical activity daily to maintain their physical and psychological health. This paper aims at providing significance and summary of the undertaken study for elderly residents in Edmonton General Continuing Care (EGCCC) in Alberta, Canada. 

Evidence of Literature That It Is Current, Relevant, and Significant

There is sufficient evidence that the literature is current, relevant, and significant concerning the research topic. Research has corroborated that elderly people have been severely and adversely affected by social distancing policies and changes in lifestyles condition with the advent of Covid-19. Sedentary behavior has negatively affected their body mass index. Most of them already suffer from certain medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart conditions, and respiratory illnesses. Physical inactivity added to their worries (Oliveira et al., 2022). 

As physical activity has shown numerous benefits for health, physical inactivity, particularly for older people in residential settings, has been explored to be harmful. The risk factors for their chronic conditions increase and negatively affect their life expectancy (Douma et al., 2017). Current evidence has proven that it still applies to older people living in nursing homes in modern times where activities are limited, creating negative physical and psychological influences. 

Recent guidelines from World Health Organization (WHO) recommend that older adults must be engaged in physical activity at least 150 minutes per week (Langhammer, Bergland & Rydwik, 2018). The exercises that should be followed include aerobics. Strengths and balance exercises. Even if older people cannot strictly follow this plan, they can engage in other similar routine activities like cooking, gardening, shopping, and involvement in self-care to avoid the risk of chronic conditions and their successful management. 

Gap in Literature

           It has been observed that there were gaps in the literature. For improving physical activity in elderly people residing in nursing or long-term care facilities, it is not stated whether they were limited in physical activity when Covid arrived or was it due to restrictions imposed by the government. Since it could be possible that interventions were arranged for them inside the residing homes for keeping them physically engaged, but they could be hesitant themselves, the success gained from the interventions could be short-lived. Their physical condition might not have been boosted based on their own will. 

The project contributes to social or organizational change in nursing and nurse leadership so that elderly people’s health could be prioritized, particularly those whose families have already given up to nursing homes. The current situation of Covid, with its persistently coming variants, could be used in formulating suitable nursing interventions for keeping the elderly people busy in their administered workout plan and monitoring their physical conditions daily and adherence to the plan (Asghari, Archibald & Roshangar, 2021).  

Potential Contributions of the Study with Advance Knowledge of Discipline

The potential contributions of the study could be suitable for clinicians as physiotherapy experts could be called to nursing homes and long-term care facilities for encouraging greater physical activity. The clinical implications could further extend to progress in cardiorespiratory activity and muscle strength for older people, contributing to a lesser risk of mortality. 

Health professionals and physical educators, nutritionists, geriatricians, and health assistants could engage the older people in nursing homes to cultivate their physical health during Covid-19. Weekly calls or meetings could be arranged to keep them consistent with their physical plans and help their motivation. 

“Take Home” Message

An important message capturing the key essence of the current research is that elderly people’s health should be considered a top concern by the policymakers and health professionals since it could pose an economic burden that is not desired by any country in the world. The mortality rates of the elderly population are not just numbers but a reflection of the policy-making skills of the government officers. Social benefits for the older population, especially in nursing homes, should be immediately and suitable suggested by those in power to upgrade their survival rate and reduce the death rate. 

Recommendations for Future Research

After reviewing the strengths and limitations of the current research, it is recommended for future research that elderly people should be motivated for physical activity regardless that Covid-19 restrictions have been imposed. The boundaries of their long-term facilities should be re-invented for their places to dance, jog, walk, and aerobics so that value of physical activities should stay alive in their minds. Barriers to physical activity should be deeply probed and also whether it is the willingness of the elderly population in long-term care facilities that might encourage them to break these barriers or not. Self-identified motivators would be another suitable direction to focus future research on. 

Conclusion

The utmost goal of physical activity for elderly people in Covid-19 is to facilitate their physical and mental health. It would contribute to their health and independence even if they cannot go outside. Providing opportunities for enhancing their quality of life (QoL) quotient would help promote physical activity, even in pandemics like Covid-19. Policymakers could support the interventions for nurses and other health professionals for devising enriching activities for this segment of the population.