New fitness program “Steady PACErs” helps seniors stay connected, healthy, and fit.
September is National PACE Month, which gives us an opportunity to celebrate Mount Sinai Eldercare, our Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Mount Sinai Eldercare helps seniors live independently in their homes and communities, providing a better quality of life with dedicated caregivers, transportation, full medical services, and opportunities for socialization.
As we marked our first anniversary on Sept. 1, Mount Sinai Eldercare is proud to launch Steady PACErs, a fitness program designed to help participants take charge of their health and fitness goals while preventing health decline.
A collaborative effort between physical therapy, occupational therapy, and recreational therapy, Steady PACErsoffersindividualized support to seniors. The program focuses on daily living activities, functional mobility, strengthening, health decline prevention, contracture management, and improving the participant’s quality of life overall.
As people age, their skeletal muscle function tends to decline, according to a recent study in the BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine.Mount Sinai Eldercare’s new fitness concept is designed to counteract this decline by promoting optimal physical, mental, and psychosocial functioning. Key benefits of Steady PACErs include:
- Incentives for participants to prevent health decline
- Therapeutic exercises and activities to reduce fall risk
- Individualized programming tailored to each participant
- Maintenance and enhancement of bodily functions
- A sense of community through group activities
- Improved compliance with Home Exercise Program (HEP)
“While we have provided fitness training, occupational, physical, and recreational training to our program participants since our inception, this branded program takes the best of each specialty, offering a synergistic and all-encompassing approach to fitness and movement,” explains Lynda Barcelo, Vice President, Managed Care and Population Health.
All individualized programs are participant-specific based on cognitive and physical function. Prior to signing up for the program, participants will undergo evaluation by our physical and occupational therapists to determine their program type, per PACE guidelines.
The Steady PACErs program will also extend beyond the 30-minute customized exercise sessions to include educational seminars, group therapy classes, and more.
To view a video about Mount Sinai Eldercare, please click here.
To learn more, please visit: PACE – Mount Sinai Medical Center (msmc.com).