C4 - Interprofessional Therapeutic Yoga Programs: Supporting Healthy Lifestyles for Older Adults and People with Dementia

4. Patient and family-centred care

  • Date: Friday, September 20, 2019
  • Concurrent Session C
  • Time: 8:45am – 9:30am

  • Room: Pier 9
  • Style: Presentation (information provided to audience, with opportunity for audience to ask question)
  • Focus: Practical (e.g. Presentation on how to implement programs and/or practices in the team environment)
    Target Audience: Leadership (ED, clinical lead, board chair, board member, etc.), Clinical providers, Administrative staff, Representatives of stakeholder/partner organizations

Learning Objectives

By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to… 

  • identify the benefits of a therapeutic yoga program for older adults
  • recognize how to successfully facilitate the interprofessional application of a therapeutic yoga program
  • discuss strategies for leveraging partnerships to create community programs
  • recognize helpful  resources and tools to create a similar program within their setting

Summary/Abstract

Older populations can face barriers to sustaining a healthy lifestyle due to challenges related to mobility and balance, cognitive changes, and isolation. Yoga for older adults has shown to have positive effects on health-related quality of life and exercise capacity (Desveaux et al., 2015). To address these known barriers, the Sunnybrook Academic Family Health Team (SAFHT) partnered with SPRINT Senior Services and the Alzheimer’s Society of Toronto (AST) to offer therapeutic yoga to older adults and people with dementia.   SPRINT program: A Yoga Therapist (YT) and an Occupational Therapist (OT) from the SAFHT run a therapeutic yoga program for seniors. The YT guides participants through a gentle yoga program that focuses on strength, balance, flexibility, mindfulness and relaxation. The OT screens participants for health and mobility issues and offers education around falls prevention and home safety.    

AST program: A Yoga Therapist (YT) and a Registered Dietitian (RD) from the SAFHT piloted a six-week program for people with dementia and their care partners. Participants were guided through gentle chair yoga by the YT and engaged in discussions around brain health nutrition with the RD.    

We will discuss the process of interprofessional and community partnership that enabled these programs to run. Positive findings support the continuation and expansion of these programs across the population.  Funding for the SPRINT program was made possible by a two-year Ontario Sport and Recreation Communities Fund grant. AST sponsored the Gentle Yoga and Nutrition for People with Dementia and Their Care Partners.
 

Presenter

  • Ingrid Wirsig, MSc, C-IAYT, Yoga Therapist, Sunnybrook Academic Family Health Team
  • Katelyn Jutzi, MScOT, OT Reg (Ont.), Occupational Therapist, Sunnybrook Academic Family Health Team
  • Annie Hoang, MEd, RD, CDE, Dietitian, Sunnybrook Academic Family Health Team

Authors/Contributors