Two-year IC-MOVE project: Developing an innovative system with digital exercises in the form of games, that promotes early mobilization of Intensive Care patients.

How can nursing homes reintroduce regular adapted physical activity for their residents after this confinement?

Confinement during this pandemic period had the effect of accentuating social isolation of the most vulnerable. What are now the needs and actions, already necessary before but crucial today, to support our loved ones in nursing homes?

Kris de Kinderen is a physiotherapist working at De Wever, a care home in the Netherlands. We recently interviewed him, and some of his patients, about their experiences with the SilverFit Flow.

The SilverFit Flow is developed to support patients with their breathing exercises by means of game-based therapy.

A study from Nina Skjæret-Maroni, Elise K. Vonstad, Espen A. F. Ihlen, Xiang-Chun Tan, Jorunn L. Helbostad,and Beatrix Vereijken, Frontiers in Psychology, 2016; 7: 964

Falling is a major concern for elderly people, and often results in a negative outcome. Van Gastel & Van der Burgt (2012) developed a fall prevention program for the SilverFit 3D, to improve the users’ balance and gait pattern, and to enhance lower extremity muscle strength.

With 4-17% of the community-dwelling elderly being frail, and 38-53% pre-frail (Collard et al. 2012), the study of Liao et al. (2019) aimed to see what effects overgaming and combined exercise could have on frailty and physical performance of elderly. The results are really encouraging!

Van Santen et al. (2019) investigated the effect of interactive cycling (exergaming) on functioning and well-being of people with dementia. Positive effects were found!

Stanmore et al. (2019) looked at the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of exergames to improve balance of elderly aged 55 years and older. The outcomes are very positive!

The amputation program on the SilverFit 3D is a good addition to the regular geriatric physio-therapeutic rehabilitation program. This was concluded by the master research project of Anke van Cruchten, geriatric physiotherapist at rehabilitation center Roermond of De Zorggroep, The Netherlands.

Intrinsic motivation of elderly stays significantly higher over time if balance exercises are performed using the SilverFit 3D.