Development of the WESTERN plan for supporting active ageing in retirement and care facilities

本研究旨在解决在庇护住宿、辅助生活、护理院和需要外展护理的老年人中保持流动性、福祉和生活质量的问题。换句话说，这个项目旨在提供一个个性化的方案，将这些环境转变为促进而不是阻碍积极老龄化的环境。住在这类设施里的人往往倾向于屈从于一种衰老的刻板印象，其特点是与更广泛的社会群体脱节，体育活动减少，对烹饪和健康均衡饮食漠不关心，感到无助。因此，与年龄有关的疾病，如认知障碍、身体功能丧失、虚弱和精神健康状况不佳，在这一人群中非常普遍。幸运的是，通过简单的生活方式行为，这些问题中的许多都是可以预防的（或者至少可以减缓）。提供一个系统来激励、提示和支持老年人将增进健康的“自我保健”行为纳入日常生活，可以促进积极老龄化，并遏制任何可预防的精神、身体和情感衰退。西方的计划（散步、运动零食、太极、教育、人际关系、营养）旨在提供一个基于行为科学的简单、个性化的计划，以优化动机、参与度和可接受性。该计划将在一个目标用户知情的数字平台上提供，以整合行为改变技术、可扩展性和传播，将为用户、护理人员和家庭成员提供结构，并作为居民持续增长、价值、归属感和蓬勃发展的健康和福祉的基础。

This research aims to address the problem of maintaining mobility, wellbeing, and quality of life in older adults in sheltered accommodation, assisted living, care homes and people who require outreach care. In other words, this project will aim to provide a personalized programme that transforms these settings into ones that facilitate rather than impeded active ageing.Often when individuals reside in such facilities there is a tendency to succumb to an ageing stereotype characterized by a detachment from the wider social community, a reduction in physical activity, apathy towards cooking and eating healthy, balanced meals, and feelings of helplessness. Consequently, age-associated conditions such as cognitive impairment, loss of physical function, frailty and poor mental health are highly prevalent within this population.Fortunately, many of these issues are preventable (or at the very least, can be decelerated) through simple lifestyle behaviours. Providing a system to motivate, prompt and support older adults to include health-enhancing 'self-care' behaviours into their daily routines can promote active ageing, and curb any preventable mental, physical, and emotional decline.The WESTERN plan (Walking, Exercise Snacking, Tai-chi, Edification, Relationships, Nutrition) aims to provide a simple, personalized programme that is rooted in behavioural science to optimize motivation, engagement, and acceptability. The plan, which will be provided on a target-user informed digital platform for integration of behaviour change techniques, scalability and dissemination, will provide structure for users, care staff and family members and act as a basis for continued growth, value, belongingness and thriving health and wellbeing in residents.