What is it about?
Tai Chi is a body-mind exercise that adopts the philosophy of Chinese Medicine. It is a self-learned exercise which is gentle, safe, easily accessible, and economical. These characteristics are highly relevant for the older populations as an exercise for health promotion. From the theoretical perspective, Tai Chi carries specific characteristics which make it an appropriate exercise for the residents. Existing scientific evidence also supports the feasibility and effectiveness of Tai Chi for promotion of healthy aging of the residents. With mounting demand for residential aged care worldwide, this paper is timely and its discussions provide important implications for advancing the quality of care delivered by nursing homes.
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Why is it important?
The adoption of institutional care in nursing home imposes a certain degree of health challenges to the residents, reinforces the perception that residents are passive recipients of care, and hinders them from experiencing healthy aging. Promotion of healthy aging is especially important to the residents as it enables them to maintain healthy and make their lives more meaningful. As older residents approach their lives’ terminus points, having a sense of meaningful living is vitally important.
Perspectives
The lack of activity, opportunity for providing input and participation in activities, and interaction with other people are the features of institutional living which reinforces dependency among nursing home residents. Residents are usually frustrated with paternalistic-type care. Arranging health-oriented meaningful activities for residents contributes to health promotion and enhancement of healthy aging. Moreover, it contributes to the cultivation of a positive meaning of life which is particularly important as residents reach the late geriatric stages of their lives. With exercise being seen as generally beneficial for health, Tai Chi as a Chinese-based exercise with a body-mind emphasis and unique characteristics becomes a particularly suitable exercise in aiding the residents in this major shift of lifestyle. This paper analyzes the appropriateness, feasibility, and effectiveness of Tai Chi in promoting healthy aging for residents. Theoretical considerations and scientific evaluations lend it appropriate, feasible, and effective in providing physiological and psychosocial health benefits to the residents. This paper recommends the use of Tai Chi to promote healthy aging in nursing home residents. With a rapidly aging population and mounting demand for residential geriatric care worldwide, this paper’s timely findings should provide important implications for adopting Tai Chi to advance the quality of care delivered by nursing homes worldwide.
Dr Eric Chun-Pu Chu
New York Medical Group
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Tai Chi as a Body-Mind Exercise for Promotion of Healthy Aging in Nursing Home Residents: Appropriateness, Feasibility, and Effectiveness, Clinical Interventions in Aging, November 2023, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.2147/cia.s430968.
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