Wilma, 96

Wilma, aged 96, is a Stay Active client who has been living actively and independently at her home in Chippendale. Mid 2022, Wilma made the most of an opportunity to visit family and friends for a couple months in Europe to celebrate her 95th birthday! Whilst she was visiting, her loving family and friends were happy to see her and kindly completed many tasks for Wilma.

When Wilma returned home to Sydney, she noticed she had lost a lot of strength and her balance wasn’t as good as it used to be. In December of 2022, aged 95 she had a fall in the kitchen whilst stacking the dishwasher and fractured her right tibia and ankle requiring surgeries at both fracture sites. As a result, Wilma spent 18 weeks in hospital including Christmas, and she was placed in a ROM restricted brace and a “moon boot”.

Wilma was very keen to return to her home in Chippendale, which she has lived at for close to 30 years. She diligently completed rehab in hospital and was discharged with the condition she would complete further rehab at home. Wilma engaged her home care package provider, who introduced Wilma to one of Stay Active's Accredited Exercise Physiologists, Tom.

Since May 2023, Tom has visited Wilma in her home for exercise physiology sessions, professionally progressing Wilma through strength, mobility and balance exercises. Wilma also diligently completes her home program that Tom created for her. This intervention has led to significant improvements in functional ability. 

With guidance from Tom, Wilma’s hand grip strength has improved 10%, her timed ‘up and go’ score has reduced from 52 seconds to 16 seconds, a 69% reduction. Her armrest assisted 30 second ‘sit to stand’ score has improved 83%, from 6 to 11, and Wilma can now balance in a tandem stance for 15 seconds!

These improvements have allowed Wilma to mobilise with her walking stick in her home, walk around her block with her walker, manage the 6 steps leading up to her home with ease and regularly host friends for her food and wine club, book club or to play mah-jong.

Wilma believes the exercise sessions have been “absolutely vital” to recouping her functional ability and refers to them as the “key to the rest of her life”, allowing her to live confidently and independently in her home.