Holland Home Keeps Residents Active With ‘Exergaming’
Senior services provider Holland Home, a nonprofit that's committed to follow Christ's teachings and examples in all that it does, is keeping older adults healthy and connected to their communities throughout the pandemic with exergaming.Exergaming combines physical activity with computer-simulated environments and videogame features. This included riding nearly 1,400 miles in March and ranking 7th out of 265 CyberCycle teams worldwide. One Holland Home resident placed 4th out of more than 1,300 riders worldwide in February.
Holland Home added technology-enabled exergaming equipment to its Breton Ridge campus in 2019 as part of its Vibrant Living wellness model, which incorporates five dimensions of wellness, including physical. As the pandemic took hold, the organization had to temporarily shutter its fitness center. Once things began to open again, the popularity of the CyberCycles, as well as other technology-enabled equipment grew.
"Even though older adults often have a reputation of not interacting with technology, we've found an openness among residents to try exergaming," said Marenta Klinger, director of resident life at Holland Home. "While we didn't anticipate the need for community to be created with this equipment, we've been encouraged to see how it has helped residents stay connected during the pandemic. They can ride side by side with someone, even if they can't be in the same room."
The CyberCycle program offers Holland Home residents more than 40 virtual road courses, tracks participant pace and progress and creates challenges based on past performance. And it allows riders to interact and compete with residents in their own community or somewhere around the world.
Founded in 1882, Holland Home offers a full continuum of care. Under the Holland Home brand are two residential campuses: Breton Woods and Raybrook. Community services include Atrio Home Care, Faith Hospice and its Trillium Woods hospice in-patient facility, Reliance Community Care Partners, Care Resources and the Trillium Institute.
