Physical Activity as a Habit in Long-Term Care: A Multidisciplinary Guideline

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Physical activity is crucial for disease management, mental health, and quality of life.
• Integrating physical activity into long-term care (LTC) settings presents significant structural challenges.
• A national, multidisciplinary guideline was developed to address these LTC integration issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically develop and synthesize a national guideline for integrating physical activity into routine long-term care practice.
• To identify and prioritize key challenges in implementing physical activity within LTC settings.
• To provide evidence-informed recommendations for enhancing physical activity engagement in long-term care.

Main Methods:

• A multidisciplinary working group (n=13) developed the guideline.
• A national online questionnaire and systematic literature reviews informed the guideline's critical questions.
• Consensus procedures integrated scientific evidence, stakeholder input, and professional expertise.

Main Results:

• The guideline addresses the importance of physical activity, organizational strategies, professional integration, activity types, technology use, and client/caregiver motivation.
• Concrete, practical recommendations were formulated for diverse long-term care scenarios.
• Key knowledge gaps were identified to guide future research and practice.

Conclusions:

• The guideline is a significant advancement for embedding physical activity in long-term care.
• It offers practical, evidence-based solutions tailored to the unique challenges of long-term care settings.
• Identified knowledge gaps will direct future research to normalize physical activity in long-term care.