Mobility Issues and Limitations in Aged Care
Published: 22 August 2019
Published: 22 August 2019
Mobility is closely tied to our sense of independence, but also our social connectedness, activity and security (Health.Vic 2018). A person's wellbeing can be considerably compromised by a mobility restriction.
Mobility issues become more of a concern with age, and in many cases, the older adult must face a period of adjusting from complete independence to sudden reliance on another for even minor tasks, such as brushing their teeth or basic grooming.
A mobility impairment can range from limitations of stamina to total paralysis (Ferris State University 2019).
Often, a lack of functional mobility can contribute to additional health issues. For example, limited functional mobility in an older person could prevent them from maintaining continence (Health.Vic 2018).
Mobility Issues and Limitation Issues is directly tied to Aged Care Quality Standards: Standard 5: Organisation’s Service Environment.
By encouraging and helping a patient to achieve or regain mobility, the risk of the following decreases:
(Better Health Channel 2015)
In a situation in which drastically reduced mobility results in bed rest, there is a heightened risk of additional health complications.
(Health.Vic 2018)
An older person living with reduced mobility may find it difficult to carry out simple tasks and participate in activities without assistance. Before committing to residential aged care, there are less drastic options available to assist them.
The first step is to ensure that their home environment allows them to live as independently as they would like to.
The following are recommended as basic aids to assist an older adult to live independently at home:
(Better Health Channel 2015)
Functional mobility is the capacity to move from one position to another, enabling participation in everyday life.
Functional mobility includes:
(Health.Vic 2018)
It is important to be aware that mobility restrictions and the use of gait aids can have a significant impact on a person’s ability to access their home and local area. This can result in difficulty maintaining and initiating social connections within their community (Health.Vic 2018).
Mobility aids are equipment that facilitates movement for someone who would otherwise be unable or limited in their attempt to move, participate in, or carry out a task. Mobility aids include:
(Better Health Channel 2019)
There are small changes that can be made around the home to help the person living with a mobility restriction to move around the house. They include:
(Better Health Channel 2019)
Exercise programs can be administered in both individual and group settings and may include strength, balance, functional retraining and aerobic exercises. Group classes can also provide an opportunity for social interaction and may help counteract the loneliness of isolation (Health.Vic 2018).
The exercise undertaken by older people with mobility limitations does not need to be strenuous. Research has shown that even minor increases of movement can make a difference in physical ability and prevent the likelihood of falls in people over the age of 65 (Aged Care Guide 2015.).
Recommend that, if they are able to, patients incorporate balance and strength training into daily routines – an example is taking the stairs more often and bending knees to pack the dishwasher. Exercises such as this are part of a program called Lifestyle-Integrated Functional Exercise (LiFE) (Aged Care Guide 2015).
Informed by rigorous study, this new approach to exercise has been shown to reduce falls by more than 30% through incorporating balance and strength training into everyday activities and daily routines (Aged Care Guide 2015).
Falls in elderly people are a major concern in terms of disability, institutionalisation, mortality and socioeconomic burden (RACP 2012).
In older adults, as high as 30% of falls have been shown to result in moderate to severe injuries, for example, lacerations, hip fractures and head trauma, resulting in an increased risk of premature death (RACP 2012).
The fear of falling may additionally lead to an avoidance of daily activities, social isolation, lowered quality of life and can precipitate an early move into aged care (RACP 2012).
(Aged Care Guide 2015).
(Hughes 2018; Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare 2009).
A mobility impairment can range from limitations of stamina to paralysis and has the potential to severely decrease the wellbeing of an individual through isolation, fear of falling, increased bed-rest and dependency on others for simple tasks. Limited mobility can be navigated through accessible home environments, support and exercise programs.
(Subscribers Only)
Question 1 of 3
True or false? One in four people over the age of 64 suffer falls each year.
Start an Ausmed Subscription to unlock this feature!
Ausmed’s Editorial team is committed to providing high-quality and thoroughly researched content to our readers, free of any commercial bias or conflict of interest. All articles are developed in consultation with healthcare professionals and peer reviewed where necessary, undergoing a yearly review to ensure all healthcare information is kept up to date. See Educator Profile