Be there!

Activity deprivation, defined as a lack of meaningful activities, is a significant problem for older people, especially those living in care homes. Activity deprivation can have serious consequences on physical, mental and social health and thus significantly affect quality of life.

The aim of the project is to develop a guide to health promotion based on surveys and the evaluation of implemented measures. This aims to reduce activity deprivation among senior citizens in care homes and improve their quality of life.

In the “Be there!” project, resource-orientated tools are used to assess the activity level of residents in one-to-one interviews and observations, and relatives and care and support staff are interviewed in order to derive appropriate measures. Participatory programmes for residents and relatives are created, implemented and evaluated.

The results of the project to date show that the targeted reduction of activity deprivation among senior citizens in retirement homes can bring about significant improvements in their quality of life. The action-oriented health promotion guideline therefore represents an important resource for care facilities to promote the health and well-being of their residents and improve their quality of life. These findings help to better understand the needs of older people in retirement homes and improve the quality of care and support.

The project is funded by the Health Promotion Agenda and the Healthy Austria Fund [FGÖ] and implemented in cooperation with Volkshilfe Seniorenzentrum Bairisch Kölldorf and the Merkendorf day care centre of the municipality of Bad Gleichenberg and the Red Cross.