Supporting older adults to become more active and recondition following COVID-19 activity restrictions
The National Falls Prevention Co-ordination Group ( NFPCG ), has developed a suite of resources , intended to support individuals , health and care professionals and commissioners to take action to overcome the reduction in physical activity participation and resultant deconditioning effect of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Five resources have been developed in response to the recommendations listed in the Public Health England guidance 2021 , COVID-19 : Wider impacts on people aged 65 and over , which provides an estimation of the impacts of COVID-19 on physical activity , deconditioning and falls in older adults and recommendations to mitigate these effects . These include :
• A deconditioning resource for the public , with the aim of encouraging those reading it to take steps to increase their level of physical activity in a way that can be tailored to their level of ability . The resource includes links to free to access useful online resources which can support a self-management approach .
• An ‘ easy read ’ version of the above public facing resource , which is also available in yellow background to ensure those with visual impairment are able to access the content .
• A poster summarising the messages , designed for display in public spaces , waiting rooms and reception areas .
• A deconditioning resource for health and care professionals , aimed at supporting professionals to have meaningful conversations to support individuals they are in contact with to identify goals and take action to increase their own physical activity .
• A deconditioning resource aimed at providers and commissioners of strength and balance falls prevention exercise programmes . This resource highlights and summarises key policy reports and guidelines which if implemented may drive up access to and quality of exercise programmes designed to reduce falls and support reconditioning among local populations following the pandemic .
Occupational therapists contribute to new Long Covid self-help guide
A new self-help guide for managing symptoms of Long Covid , written by key members of the multidisciplinary team involved in the Oxford Post Covid Assessment Clinic and Rehabilitation Service , has been published by Bloomsbury . Rachael Rogers , clinical lead and highly specialised occupational therapist , and Ruth Tyerman , an occupational therapist and vocational rehabilitation specialist with over 30 years ’ experience , have contributed significantly to this new publication writing chapters on managing fatigue , sleep and returning to work
Rachael has been working as an ME / CFS practitioner for the Oxfordshire ME / CFS Service since 2005 , specialising in fatigue management , while Ruth is part of the Community Head Injury Service in Aylesbury .
In October 2020 , NHS England announced a £ 10 million investment programme to help local services in every part of the country to bring together the right professionals to help people requiring health care for Long Covid .
Rachael and members of her team in the ME / CFS Service , combined with colleagues from the community respiratory physiotherapy service , had already been working for some months to help people experiencing fatigue and breathlessness from COVID-19 .
Following the announcement , Rachael and the respiratory physiotherapist clinical lead worked closely with commissioners and key clinicians in Oxford to set up not just the clinic , but a robust rehabilitation pathway to support this population .
The assessment and rehabilitation service now involves clinicians from respiratory medicine , rehabilitation medicine , sports and exercise medicine , health psychology , IAPT , respiratory physiotherapy , respiratory nursing , and occupational therapists from the ME / CFS Service and vocational rehabilitation .
The assessment clinic , as one of the first clinics to be set up nationally , was approached by the publishers Bloomsbury to write a self-help guide on Long Covid to add to its health and wellness range of books .
The Long Covid self-help guide : practical ways to manage symptoms aims to empower people in their clinical care , support those who have been unable to access specialist help , and to supplement any intervention they may be receiving , directing people to a model of selfmanagement .
‘ The book stems from what and how we operate as a clinic and rehabilitation service ,’ says Rachel .
56 OTnews July 2022