Integrating sports technology to boost wellness for older people

Presented with the challenge of finding a better way to evaluate strength within the aging population, LiveWell Health turned to VALD technology.

Founder of LiveWell Health, Andrew Sokolowski — who is passionate about using exercise as medicine for older people — decided to take the technology, science and practices that are typically adopted by professional athletes and use them to make a difference in the lives of average people.

“Being in the senior care industry, we work with a number of providers — most commonly physicians, but also skilled nursing homes, senior care (caregiver) agencies, home healthcare agencies and outpatient physical therapy clinics,” Sokolowski said.

“Prior to implementing VALD’s technologies, we were seen as ‘just another group of personal trainers’. But after we described our processes and protocols with each of the various providers, we were looked upon very differently. We were seen as a true partner, and could easily measure the impact we were having on their patients, clients and members.

“By adopting VALD technologies we’ve had an exponential increase of referrals and revenue growth of 645% in the same period, through the combination of excellent service via health technology and the team’s professionalism.”

Previously, the only way LiveWell Health had been able to evaluate strength in an individual was to establish a one-repetition maximum (1RM), or — playing it a little more safely — establish a 10RM in order to approximate a 1RM. While this method had the capacity to be successful for a highly motivated older person, it was not as effective for people who were newer to exercise. For these people, a maximal effort test at initial evaluation was often an unpleasant experience that had the potential to turn them off exercise entirely.

VALD’s ForceDecks.

Instead, the VALD technologies have enabled LiveWell Health clinicians to better understand movement at the individual joint level. They are now able to test with DynaMo to accurately collect and understand objective data, which allows them to create and implement exercise programs with ease. It also allows clinicians to better verbalise their findings with patients and families.

“‘Your father is quite weak in this area’ doesn’t quite cut it anymore,” Sokolowski said.

“Now we can provide meaningful data insights to say: ‘When you compare your father with others in this cohort you can see he generates 1.04 Newtons of force per kilogram of body weight (N/kg); the average among skilled nursing residents is 1.26 N/kg. With that said, if we want him to be ambulating independently once again, we must focus at the individual joint level with a progression into functional movement.’ This resonates with members far more effectively.”

With more information at hand, LiveWell Health has also been able to establish better strategies to accomplish attainable goals on an ongoing basis. VALD technologies are easily transported, so when it seems that a person’s progression or regression may have occurred, clinicians can readily reassess and divert course if needed.

“Our members are not left wondering whether they are making progress — the data can confirm it,” Sokolowski said.

Images supplied.