Taking on new challenges is helping Frost Manor resident increase mobility

Mike Lane’s persistence helps him accomplish new goals

Frost Manor resident Mike Lane is always ready for a new challenge when he’s working with the Lindsay long-term care home’s physiotherapy team.

And it’s his willingness to take on new challenges that has helped him improve his mobility, says Achieva Health physiotherapy assistant Debbie Ellison.

Mike primarily uses a wheelchair for mobility, but he has been training with a four-point walker, which is a walker that needs to be lifted and set down as you move.

Mike and Debbie practise walking with the four-point walker three times a week. Mike has recently improved to the point he can get around with a rollator walker – a walker with wheels – during their exercise segments, which has been a bigger challenge, Debbie says.

“He is working hard and he’s doing well with it so far,” she tells The OMNIway.

Persistence has been Mike’s key to success, Debbie says. He will work at an exercise until he masters it.

“I think that it is also fun for him, so he doesn’t mind doing it,” she says. “We also try to encourage him and praise Mike for his work, and I think he likes that too.”

As further encouragement, Debbie often uses an iPhone loaded with music to play for residents. Mike’s a big country music fan, and he enjoys listening to his favourite songs while he exercises, she says.

Physiotherapy programs at Frost Manor are created to meet the needs of individual residents by Achieva Health physiotherapist Charu Patel. Debbie then leads residents in the exercise program Charu develops.

Keeping long-term-care home residents active through physiotherapy programs helps reduce the risk of falls and enhances quality of life in other ways, Debbie says.

“(Physiotherapy) is really important; we want everyone to stay with strong muscles,” she says. “When people are able to stand and walk, all the organs work better and everything works better, so our goal is to keep the muscles strong and all of the organs working well.”

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