Residents embrace tai chi program
Roberta Place uses intervention to increase balance and co-ordination
Monday September 29, 2008 -- Jason Thompson
Residents at Roberta Place, a Jarlette-owned long-term care home in Barrie, have enthusiastically taken to a tai chi program designed to increase balance and co-ordination.

Tai chi is a Chinese martial art that has become popular in the Western world due to its promotion of balance, flexibility, cardiovascular fitness and reduced the risk of falls in seniors.

Melanie Van Pypen, a restorative care co-ordinator, says tai chi classes were introduced at Roberta Place as part of the home’s involvement in the National Falls Collaborative, an effort led by the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario to reduce falls and injury from falls in residents in long term care homes.

Through the Taoist Tai Chi Society of Canada, Van Pypen was able to arrange to have a volunteer tai chi instructor run a 10-week session in the home beginning in July.

On average, Van Pypen says about a dozen residents take part in the tai chi class each week.

“The ones that come, come every week and they’re pretty die hard about it,” she says.

Robert Cartagena, who has been a resident at Roberta Place for about six months, credits tai chi with helping reduce pain in his lower back.

When Cartagena first heard of the tai chi program his initial reaction was, “what the heck is this?”

Since a friend encouraged him to check out a session in action, Cartagena has been hooked on tai chi.

“You feel more relaxed, you feel more agile,” Cartagena says. “You will benefit from it no matter old you are or no matter what your disability.”

Van Pypen says one resident in particular has really benefited from the tai chi class.

“I’ve seen more of a bounce in his step and more motivation to participate in other exercise programs,” she says.

Although it’s too early to reach any definitive conclusions about the tai chi program’s effectiveness in reducing the number of falls at the home, Van Pypen says she believes it will have a positive impact in the long-run.

“One of things I’m hoping to do to evaluate the success of the program is to have physiotherapist do assessments and find out if in fact there is any increase in balance and co-ordination,” Van Pypen says.

“As with any exercise program . . . it does take a lot of commitment and a lot of time to see a change but the dedication from our residents is there so I hope they will see a change over time.”

Roberta Place is hoping to bring the tai chi program back for another 10-week run commencing in October.

Click here for more information on tai chi.

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