Older people and senior citizens who stay in bedrest can be a critical point of their lives. By staying in their beds after being cured of whatever caused their hospitalization, they not only lose their strength but also their mobility. For many older people, by the time they are allowed to go out of the hospital, bigger problems have set in and independent living has become much more difficult. Ultimately, this results in a sharp decline of their mobility and endless days of lying in bed.
While many believe that bedrest is a good form of recovery, for older people, it is actually anything but helpful. Older people who were independent and mobile before their hospitalization end up needing assistance even after they are cured of their ailment. This is an alarming situation that gave life to an initiative called Move On—Mobilization of Vulnerable Elders in Ontario.
Move On, a movement that started in St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, helps older people prevent mobility erosion especially in a critical phase of their lives. It ensures that hospital staff do not lose sight of the necessity to urge older people to move out of their bed and get back to independent living as soon as their physical states allow them to.
Started by Dr. Lou and Dr. Straus, staying in bedrest for long can result in older people losing their mobility and even their ability to walk, thereby extending their stay in the hospital and necessitating admission in a rehab facility. Funded by the Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario, the program has been launched in other hospitals in Ontario as well.
Older people lose from one to five percent of their total muscle strength when hospitalised. Also, a third of hospital older adults lose their capacity to perform one activity they used to be able to do. By the time they are discharged, half of them are unable to relearn the same function.
Move On, composed of therapists, doctors, and nurses, volunteers, and family members, is to make sure that older adults get out of their bed and regain their mobility. The short-term goal is to ensure that they move at least thrice a day. Even simple movements like getting in and out of the shower with the use of Barrier Free Architectural products helps to increase overall mobility.









