Two separate studies released this month present a picture of how senior living and care operators can help residents stay fit and avoid emergencies such as heart attacks and strokes. Technology can help with accountability, but motivation may need to come from the community or caregivers themselves.
When cardiac rehabilitation patients received encouraging text messages via a smart watch or app, they didn’t always increase their mobility, one study showed.
The study, which involved 200 participants whose median age was 60, indicated that, depending on the device, the text prompts helped spur short-term gains, but did not lead to a definitive change in habits. The messaging also appeared to be more effective for Fitbit users than those with a different smart watch.
This finding dovetails with that of other recent research that showed that only one fourth of older adults with heart disease use devices to monitor their health.
Fortunately, it appears that preventive measures are not as strenuous as some might believe. An increase of 3,000 steps, which amounts to approximately 1.5 miles, could reduce risk of heart disease and stroke by 18% and 36%, respectively, new research shows.
Participants in the latter study were given a kit with pedometers, blood pressure monitors and a step diary to record their progress in what the study authors described as an “e-health intervention.” The participants showed marked improvement in blood pressure after the 20-week trial, the researchers said.
“The most common lifestyle physical activity in older adults is walking, which is accessible, inexpensive and easy to implement for public health impact,” the study authors stated. “These results could have important implications for healthcare professionals looking for a simple yet effective strategy that can be delivered broadly via e-health technology to reduce blood pressure.”
