Television content delivers activities and shared experiences in aged care

SPONSORED – Shared experiences and activities that stimulate the mind and body are crucial for improving the quality of life for seniors living in Australian aged care facilities, helping residents maintain physical, mental, and emotional well-being by promoting social interaction, connection, and cognitive stimulation.

With increasing demands on staff and budgets within the context of managing new regulatory requirements around quality standards of care, aged care providers are on the search for solutions to deliver more with fewer resources. 

Recognising the need to support providers in delivering the highest possible standards of care with limited resources, Swift Networks has invested significantly in developing their Swift Access and Swift Broadcast products to deliver the beneficial outcomes from shared experiences and activities and their role in managing overall well-being through content curated specifically for aged care residents delivered via television, the device people within the aged care demographic feel most comfortable using.

Swift provides a range of content beneficial to cognitive health. Brain games and trivia exercises offer mental stimulation and may be enjoyed individually or as a group.

Low stimulus content can ease anxiety, particularly in residents suffering from the effects of dementia. Music programs and musical therapy are linked to relaxation and reminiscence that stimulates conversations and social inclusion.

Exercise programs can play a key role in helping seniors maintain their mobility and independence. A study conducted by the University of Western Australia found that regular exercise among seniors in aged care facilities led to improvements in mobility, strength, balance, and overall well-being (WACHA). 

Swift has engaged physical therapists and specialist content producers to curate a portfolio of age-appropriate exercise content specifically for the aged care demographic. A wide range of content from seated dance, chair weights or chair yoga, as well as Tai chi and Pilates, is available for residents and can be scheduled as a community activity or independently delivered to a user on demand in private.

A study published in the Journal of Aging and Health found that participation in creative arts programs improved cognitive function and quality of life in aged care facilities.

In response to these studies and feedback from aged care providers, Swift has curated a range of content-delivering arts and crafts classes, like learning to paint, that can be enjoyed in a resident’s own time or overseen as a scheduled group activity.

Specialist content and the technology to deliver it via the television can play a key role in supporting the overall well-being of residents within aged care. COVID forced many people to think differently about managing their well-being with reduced access to resources. Within the aged care sector, with the increased risk factors attached this community, this need was even greater and forced us to all look for solutions and acknowledge this was likely to be a longer-term need.

While in-person interactions and activities are ideal. Specialist content curated specifically for aged care communities, delivered via the television can provide a way for residents to maintain physical, social, and cognitive health, provide opportunities to connect and engage in meaningful activities, support the overall well-being and enhance quality of care for residents in aged care communities.

For Swift Networks, visit their website, email [email protected] or call 08 6103 7595.