SilverFit Mile case - Osteoarthritis

Cycling is an easy way to motivate older people to get moving. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to go out, especially for residents in nursing homes. The SilverFit Mile uses films shooted in real landscapes to recreate the experience of outdoor cycling.

Mrs B., one hundred years old, has lived for eight years at the Den Hoogenban nursing home, of the Laurens Foundation in Rotterdam. She went to Hoogenban because she could no longer live independently, and spends half of the year at a different location than Laurens for the rehabilitation of the osteoarthritis that affects her shoulders. She also suffers from gonarthrosis (osteoarthritis of the knee) and high blood pressure.

Ms. B lives in her own apartment within the residence. She does her dishes alone, her own coffee and always manages to get dressed and shower. She walks a lot through the residence and in the garden with her walker.

In addition to her sessions with her physiotherapist, she enjoys being with other residents and her family, and sitting in front of her door to watch people pass by. Her family regularly visits her. However, she can no longer read or write correctly because of her reduced vision.

Françoise Jaymond works in Den Hoogenban and has been Ms. B's physiotherapist for eight years already.

Purpose of treatment

Ms. B.'s goal is to remain independent as much as possible.

Specific objectives of treatment:

- Maintenance of endurance and mobility when walking.

- Control joint pain, keep shoulders and knees mobile.

Treatment plan

Mrs. B. takes part in physiotherapy sessions twice a week. She starts with fifteen minutes of cycling on an active-passive resistance trainer (MOTOmed) and the SilverFit Mile, to maintain endurance and control knee osteoarthritis. She also performs specific exercises for shoulder osteoarthritis. Françoise indicates that she uses the MOTOmed in combination with the Silverfit Mile as a clinical test.

"Duration, resistance and distance are good indicators of current physical shape. I can use it for an evaluation with other disciplines" - Françoise

Evaluation

Ms. B.'s cognitive abilities deteriorate. It happens more and more that she forgets her appointments with her physiotherapist, then this one comes to seek her.

Her high blood pressure is lower thanks to the drugs. For a year now, she has had to get help with her shower, because she has fallen several times. Pain in the knees can be controlled because she moves a lot. During the pandemic, she was unable to train for two and a half months. Françoise saw that her condition was regressing. When she was allowed to cycle again, Ms. B. could cycle a kilometer in fifteen minutes. It is a kilometer less than before the start of the pandemic. Then she cycled two and a half kilometers. Ms. B. started therapy again four weeks ago and is recovering. "I see that the distance she cycles is increasing" - Françoise

Despite her poor eyesight, she enjoys the landscapes thanks to the big screen of the SilverFit Mile. During confinement, she regularly asked when she could cycle again with this system. Each time, she chooses a different landscape to discover. She recently asked for the route through Baarle-Nassau, as she once went there on vacation with her husband and children. "The SilverFit Mile brightens up her daily life, it gives her subjects for conversation and allows her to recall good memories. It is really precious." - Françoise