Minds in Motion program makes physical and mental fitness fun for seniors at St. Mary's Health Care Centre

Sandra Guard, age 80, enjoys being active in mind and body. A resident of St. Mary's Health Care Centre, a Covenant Health facility in her hometown of Trochu for the past two years together with her husband, Bruce, Sandra enjoys singing and playing the piano and is a passionate reader. She also takes care of her husband, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease about a year and a half ago.

“I really try to keep my mind active,” says Sandra. “I’ve had a few episodes of blacking out, but otherwise I am doing well mentally. I do everything I can to stay that way.”

Recently, Sandra and her husband further invested in their mental fitness by participating in Minds in Motion. Offered at St. Mary’s by Kneehill County Dementia Friendly Resources, Minds in Motion is a combined physical and mental exercise program that was debuted at the centre post-COVID and is now offered twice a year (in spring and fall) for both lodge residents and members of the community.

The eight- to 10-week program consists of weekly two-hour sessions. The first hour includes physical exercises, followed by a brief coffee and snack break, and the second hour consists of cognitive tasks in a classroom setting, with homework. The second hour also includes games, which run the gamut from Apples to Apples and Uno to Hangman, Jeopardy and fill-in-the-missing song lyrics, chosen for their support of problem-solving, memory and mental flexibility.  

“We spend the first bit of the class going over last week's homework,” says Randi Hogg, the recreation therapist at St. Mary’s who helped bring the program to the centre with assistance from volunteers Donna Kinsey, Mary O'Shea and Isabell Whyte.

“Then there's the warm-up exercise that gets people’s brains activated. Then we move on to harder cognitive tasks, for which we provide more one-on-one support. That's where my three other helpers are there to assist. Ideally, the program is designed to involve a participant and their caregiver, typically a loved one, and my helpers are there to assist those who don’t have a caregiver with them.”

A total of 20 people participated in the most recent course in the spring, and their response to the activities was positive.

“Somebody told me about this program before I moved into the lodge,” says a 91-year-old St. Mary’s resident who asked not to be named.

“I found the exercise portion to be particularly valuable, especially the leg exercises. I also enjoyed the game where you look at a word and have to come up with as many words as you can based on those letters. I would work on that every night from nine to nine thirty. Some days I would be coming up with 40 or 50 words, so I knew the program was working.”

Liz McFadden, 71, another participant who still lives at home, says the program is great outreach for people in the community.

As the organizer, Randi is pleased with how the program has gone so far. 

“It's worked out very well for us,” she says. “It’s supportive enough with the helpers that the people whose cognitive skills are really slipping don’t get discouraged but challenging enough that those who are stronger still feel engaged.” 

The social aspect is also important, Randi says. “As a community outreach tool, I think it helps make the idea of moving into a long-term care facility or lodge or any sort of supportive living situation seem less scary.”

Sandra concurs. “I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was definitely challenging, but it was a wonderful experience, and the camaraderie was great, too. I absolutely plan to do it again!”