Online idea to curb rise in OAPs falling

Online exercise classes could be laid on to curb a rise in the number of elderly people injuring themselves after a fall.

Health bosses fear lockdown is leading to pensioners becoming frailer and more prone to falling.

The Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership’s performance and audit committee discussed an increase in hospital admissions during their meeting yesterday.

Members heard that between July and September last year there had been a 22% increase in admissions involving over65s when compared to the same period in 2015-16.

One way to tackle the trend might be engaging with elderly people through technology to improve fitness levels, they were told.

Trudy McLeay, audit committee chairwoman, said: “Perhaps a lot of it is down to lockdown and the elderly not getting out and doing their shopping and things like that, which is a form of exercise. So they’re becoming more frail and unsteady.

“I’ve heard this at several meetings in the health board as well, that the frailty of the elderly is being affected by lockdown so it is easier to fall.

“I was just wondering about online exercise classes for the over-65s.”

Dr Matthew Kendall, NHS Tayside head of physio and community therapy services, told the integrated joint board it was something being explored.

He said: “We’re working quite closely with a number of different agencies.”

He said one group was already producing a DVD and online exercise program for older people in and around Dundee.

He added: “We’ve tried to focus on that community link to people who are at home. We’ve done a lot of work to try to make sure people have got access to tablets and laptops.

“It’s absolutely something we are aware of and something we are working towards.

“I think the challenge for us is the breadth of the problem because we are seeing a significant deterioration in people’s baseline levels of independence and function and the teams are stretched in trying to reach out to people.

“But we are trying to promote the online access to exercise because it’s an easy way to get that out there.”

The latest figures come after The Courier reported as many as 90% of elderly people in Dundee could be experiencing mental health issues during lockdown.

Concerns over the frailty of pensioners was also mentioned as part of the research.

WARNING: Trudy McLeay said lockdown is affecting OAPs.