b'RESIDENT CAREThe Optimal Mobility ProgramTransforming mobility, confidence and fall reduction in long-term care residentsBy Alicja Bidzinska, Toula Reppas, Christian Gallucci and Diana Gillstrom I n long-term care, change isbeginning of a downward spiralStrength and functional training constant, and so is the needmarked by fear, decreased mobility, to evolve. Residents needs areand reduced quality of life. Balance and gait interventions becoming more complex, family expectations continue to rise, and careFrailty in our residents is not definedRange of motion and flexibility teams are under increasing pressure toby age alone. It is shaped by physical, deliver more with the same resources.Cognitive engagement during cognitive, emotional and social factors. When the Ministry of Long-Term CareAddressing falls requires more thanmobility tasksintroduced funding to expand alliedexercise or equipment; it requires health care support, Kindera LivingEmotion-oriented,an approach that understands the saw an opportunity, not simply to addentire person: their strengths, theirperson-centred caremore services, but to add more impact. vulnerabilities, and their potentialfor recovery. At its core, OMP is designed to restore Instead of asking, How do we add onenot only physical ability, but also more physiotherapist? the questionCreating a new modelconfidence, motivation and engagement.became: How do we meaningfullyKindera Living partnered with Achieva reduce falls, improve mobility, andA structured, consistent modelstrengthen resident confidence in aHealth with a focused request: DevelopThe OMP is not a loose collection of measurable, sustainable way? a program that targets residents at riskexercises, it is a structured, standardized for falls, especially those with repeatedapproach applied consistently across That question led to the creation offalls, using a validated, evidence-based,participating long-term care homes.the Optimal Mobility Program (OMP),person-centred approach to care. Each resident receives:a new solution to one of long-term cares oldest challenges. The result was the Optimal MobilityThree 30-minute one-to-oneProgram (OMP), launched across sevenphysiotherapy sessions per week A persistent and costly challengeKindera Living long-term care homescustomized to each residents Falls remain one of the leading causesin November 2024 and expanded tophysical needsof injury, hospital transfer, functionalnine long-term homes by September decline, and loss of independence in2025. Built on clinical research and Three 30-minute group exercise long-term care. For some residents,practical experience, the programclasses per week that are tailored to a fall is not simply an event, its theintegrates the latest understanding in: ensure optimal mobility34 LONG TERM CARE TODAY Spring/Summer 2026'