At 84 years old, a Marsden resident is making leaps and bounds in an exercise program she joined after suffering a stroke.
Janice Cormick was travelling Australia with her husband, Bernie, when she had a stroke.
The couple decided to move to Ingenia Gardens Marsden, where Ms Cormick joined the community’s Gentle Exercise Program.
The program provides her with a personal exercise routine (prepared by a physiotherapist) and weekly classes to help her conquer her mobility issues induced by the stroke.
Ms Cormick said the program had made noticeable improvements to her life.
“After my stroke I had a limited range of motion on my left side limbs and I could not lift my left arm above my shoulder or head,” Ms Cormick said.
“I can now lift my arm above my head with ease and do the daily tasks such as hanging out the washing and making my bed, which I wasn’t able to do previously.”
The Gentle Exercise Program has helped 14,000 residents across the 26 Ingenia Gardens communities in Australia, and according to Ingenia Gardens portfolio manager, Madonna Jackson, it is continuing to grow.
“We’re always looking at ways to help deliver more for our residents, given health and wellbeing is paramount to people as they age,” Ms Jackson said.
“Ingenia Connect builds relationships with local health and community services to tailor care and support to individuals, removing the need for residents to find services themselves.
“Cases such as Janice’s are great examples of the success our care and support services can provide, and I’m really excited to see what we can achieve this year with our key partners such as the My Homecare Group.”
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, almost 60% of Australians over 65 are not reaching the suggested exercise guidelines for their age.
