Raising the bar on strength and balance: the importance of community-based provision

Author(s)

CENTRE FOR AGEING BETTER

Publisher(s):

Centre for Ageing Better

Publication year:

2019

This report draws on work from the University of Manchester Healthy Ageing Research Group, which worked with communities to better understand the challenges of delivering strength and balance programmes for older adults in the local community. These activities could include resistance training, aerobics classes and yoga groups. The report argues that NHS falls rehabilitation services often don’t have the funding or ability to provide sufficient strength and balance programmes to meet existing needs, which means an effective community-based response is essential. The report presents different models of delivery of community-based activities, barriers to delivery and examples of innovative solutions identified during the project. The findings cover five themes: raising awareness, encouraging uptake, exercise referral pathways that work, sticking to the evidence, and monitoring for outcomes and improvements. Each theme highlights five key points to ensure that strength and balance exercise programmes are delivered to the right people, at the right time, and by the right people, so that older adults achieve positive results. Recommendations for commissioners, providers and health care professionals are also included. These include for NHS and local authorities support evidence-based programmes and for improved collaboration between those referring people to programmes and those delivering them. (Edited publisher abstract)