Page 4 - Bella Vista Gardens Newsletter Autumn 2020_Final

4 BELLA VISTA NEWS, AUTUMN 2020
Health & Wellbeing

Improving Quality of Life

There are many apprehensions surrounding aged care, changes in routine, loss of independence and relocation
with a common fear felt by families of older Australians to a new environment all contribute to these depression
that their loved ones will be left sitting in front of a TV statistics. This is one of many reasons why there should
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all day, with no genuine mental or physical stimulation, be an increased importance placed on ensuring that
with this likely having a disastrous effect on that Australians in aged care have both a strong and ongoing
individual’s overall wellbeing. sense of purpose.

As an industry we need to be proactive about dispelling Older Australians take great solace in knowing that they
these concerns by committing to ongoing are part of a community, and that they’ll always have
improvements in lifestyle offerings and onsite someone to talk to. We have a duty of care to ensure that
amenities in aged care. A study by SANE Australia all residents are best utilising what’s on offer, with
showed that elderly people reported that physical ongoing assessment and planning an integral part of the
health and social contact were the two key elements aged care quality standards.
that would help improve their quality of life.
Keeping active and healthy is important no matter what
The positive effects of mental and physical engagement age you are, with studies suggesting that people over the
for older Australians are far‐reaching and include: age of 65, more than any other age group, require
adequate fitness levels to help maintain independence,
 a general boost to feelings of health and recover from illness and reduce risk of disease . A
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wellbeing Victorian Department of Health, Well for Life report
 increased quality of life states that as we age there is a change in our physical
 a reduction in stress and the likelihood of ability. This can include loss of bone density, loss of
experiencing depression muscle tone and joint problems. The extent of these
 increased levels of fitness changes differs from person to person. They go on to
 greater self‐esteem living a purposeful life and state that medical evidence suggests that much physical
keeping mentally sharp. decline is not the inevitable result of ageing but of a long‐
term sedentary living. Such physical decline can be halted
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And that is just some of them. A study by the Australian and even reversed by regularly exercising.
Institute of Health and Welfare showed that the
majority (86%) of people living in permanent Being social, as well as mentally and physically
residential aged care were diagnosed with at least one stimulated, is vital to all of us as part of our overall
mental health or behavioural condition, with health, which is why we need to make this an ongoing
depression being the most commonly diagnosed priority as aged care providers.
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mental health condition (49%). When entering care, By Kerry Mann, CEO, Cranbrook Care