Testimonials
Hear from support workers about the benefits of the program.
Testimonials
I work at ADDSI Home Living and was offered training in Active at Home more than a year ago. I saw it as a learning opportunity and as a way to do something new to help my clients.
I found the training course straightforward and didn’t encounter any problems with the material. The training provider offered good support – I could email them whenever I wanted.
Once I’d finished the course, I did struggle to enlist my first client but I guess anything new takes a bit of time to set up. I had one of my clients in mind when I finished but it took a little while to find the time to talk to them about the program and why it would work for them specifically.
Once I’d started coaching the exercises in practice it became easier to talk to other clients about Active at Home and, a year and a half on, I’m coaching four people on an ongoing basis.
The exercises themselves are easy to follow and I find teaching them straightforward as well. However, I do have to watch my clients’ posture closely in case their concentration slips.
Most of the clients I am working with practice their exercises three times a week. One lady is doing it every day. In those who are exercising regularly I have definitely seen improvements – sometimes within a few weeks.
I see one married couple who used to have balance problems. They have been exercising regularly and helping each other make progress. The other day I was pleased to see they could both do at least 30 consecutive steps of the tightrope walk exercise!
Their balance and strength have really improved. He used to have to use the side of his chair to get up and down but he can now do it unsupported. I have noticed that their confidence has grown alongside the improvements in their balance.
At ADDSI Home Living there were only a handful of us trained support workers to start with but, as the word spread, more staff took it on. Our newsletter is telling more people about it and more support workers are now in training.
I know it is early days for Active at Home but it is definitely a program that I see going further and that should be part of people’s care plan. It is a step in the right direction and there are a lot of people out there who could benefit.
I’m glad our CEO is in favour of it and knows it is a way to reable people. It helps that our clients themselves can understand why they are doing their exercises and that they start to see results quite quickly.
Testimonials
I work at Ballycara in Residential Care and was offered the opportunity to train in the Active at Home program during its pilot. I’d always wanted to further my education and it seemed like a great program to be a part of.
I thought Active at Home provided a great way to go into clients’ homes and support people who might not otherwise have the funding to be able to access exercise services.
I found the training pretty straight forward and self-explanatory and I was able to work it in around my other commitments. It did not take long to complete and I confirmed what I was learning on the job with other health professionals.
Since the training, I have found the exercises easy to teach and have been able to adapt the instructions to my personal style of working with clients. The people I have taught it to have found it easy to pick up.
Recently, I have been undertaking the program with one person in particular. He has found that his mobility and balance have improved. We have been both surprised at the remarkable improvements that even small adjustments – for example to the positioning of his feet – have made.
Active at Home is a great exercise program for people with mobility issues or for people with back pain – anyone who needs it and is willing to trial the exercises. However, I would say that support workers need to remain patient and understanding when they are encouraging clients to give the exercises a try. Some clients may need a bit more encouragement when they don’t know what they are doing at the start!
I haven’t yet needed extra support or information from Active at Home but have done some research into the benefits of the exercises out of my own curiosity.
I have loved the program and am proud to be a part of it. Where I work, I have advocated for Active at Home training with senior staff, junior staff and even the CEO and they are all very happy I am involved.
I would definitely recommend Active at Home to other in home support workers who want to make a difference. I think it is an amazing program – such a great initiative for people who can’t afford other healthcare or physio-style services – or who can’t get out to access them.
