Heart Foundation Walking Active Body Active Brain

© 2011 National Heart Foundation of Australia

Heart Foundation Walking

Active Body Active Brain Improving access to Heart Foundation Walking

for people with dementia

Helen Morley

National Project Officer, Heart Foundation

© 2011 National Heart Foundation of Australia Heart Foundation Walking Slide 2


The Heart Foundation gratefully acknowledges the National support and funding for Heart

Foundation Walking from Medibank Community Fund and Alzheimer’s Australia

Heart Foundation Walking is also funded by the ACT Government through ACT Health

The Heart Foundation acknowledges the support and expertise provided by ACH Group to

the Heart Foundation Walking Active Body Active Brain project

We are pleased to come together to offer Heart Foundation Walking across Australia


• What is Heart Foundation Walking?

• More about Heart Foundation Walking

• Some facts and figures

• How does Heart Foundation Walking work?

• Demographics of participants

• HFW is a sustainable program

• Why is Heart Foundation Walking so successful?

• Resources, recognition and reasons that walkers

keep walking!

• What is Heart Foundation Walking Active Body

Active Brain?

• The project process

• Dementia specific resources

• Pilot site information and promotion

• Outcomes to date and what’s ahead

Outline


What is Heart Foundation Walking?

• Heart Foundation Walking (HFW) is

Australia’s largest network of free

community based walking groups led by

volunteer Walk Organisers

• HFW is part of the Heart Foundation’s

broader Active Living program

• HFW operates in approximately 1400

locations in rural, remote and

metropolitan communities

• The program currently has almost 22 000

regular walkers


More about Heart Foundation Walking

Aims to make regular walking enjoyable and easy, especially for people who are not used to being active

Groups can be any size, and walk at various times, days, lengths and levels of difficulty.

Everyone encouraged to walk at their own pace

HFW groups include:

– communities

– parents with prams

– over 50s

– shopping centers

– workplaces

– other specialist groups


Facts and figures

As of 1st May 2013:

21 759 active participants in 1432

walking groups across Australia

Participant break down

• 445 - Area Coordinators in local

government and community

settings

• 2123 - volunteer Walk

Organisers

• 19,191 - Walkers & Supporters


How does Heart Foundation

Walking work?


Demographics of participants

Include those who are least likely to

be physically active such as

• 80% are women

• 66% are over 50 years of age

• 60% are overweight or obese

• 47% have a household income of less than $40K

• 30% are living alone

• 5% have English as a second language

• 2% are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

80% of walkers report participating in 150 minutes

or more of moderate to vigorous activity


3 months 6 months 12 months 2 years 3 years

Groups 99.0 % 98.0 % 93.0% 80.6 % 71.0%

Participants 93.0 % 85.0% 65.0% 55.0 % 61.0%

HFW is a sustainable program

A typical community based physical activity program has a six month retention rate of

50%. HFW consistently demonstrates retention rates well above this – even at the three

year mark


Why is Heart

Foundation Walking

successful?

• Participation is free

• Overcomes common barriers

to physical activity

• Reaches groups that are least

likely to be physically active

and those in disadvantaged

areas

• Builds community social

cohesiveness

• High retention rates

• Participants receive benefits

including special offers,

regular newsletters, incentives

and prizes to keep them

motivated


Resources provided to participants

Area Coordinators Walk Organisers Walkers

Implementation Guide (incl

electronic promotional

templates) and training

Walk Organiser Kit and

training including walk

audit tools and CPR

training

Walker’s Kit

Free HFW shirt Free HFW shirt & bucket

hat

Quarterly newsletter

Bi-annual e-newsletter Walker recognition

Scheme & monthly prize

draw

Walker recognition

Scheme & monthly prize

draw

Quarterly regional reports

on HFW

Flyers & posters for

advertising

Opportunity to participate

in HFW events

Flyers & posters for

advertising

Insurance cover


Walker recognition scheme

Note: Participation in the Walker Recognition Scheme is optional. Only walks conducted with a HFW group are

recorded as part of the Walker Recognition Scheme.

Monthly prize draw – any walker who registers a walk is automatically entered into prize draw – pedometers,

cookbooks etc

Milestone Recognition received

Registration Walker’s kit

25 walks Certificate, 30% discount voucher for Heart Foundation merchandise,

Wrist Pocket

50 walks Certificate, 30% discount voucher for Heart Foundation merchandise

HFW key ring with flashlight and HFW magnetic shopping list

100 walks Certificate, Commemorative pin and Drink Bottle

200 walks Certificate, Commemorative pin and Bum bag water bottle holder

500 walks Certificate, Commemorative pin and Walking Mini First Aid Kit

1000 walks Certificate, Commemorative pin, 1000 walk club member Polo Shirt

© 2010 National Heart Foundation of Australia

Why do walkers keep walking?

80% of respondents join HFW for health reasons

However the main reasons for staying is the fun & friendship,

the safety of walking together

and the group motivation

“As a widow living

alone, I find the morning

walk and chat uplifts

me.”

“The camaraderie of our

walkers is absolute tops

- walking has filled a

void in life.”

“I have made new friends & my health improved, I can walk

safely and always have a laugh, it’s the best club I have ever

joined and everyone is so friendly.”


What is Heart Foundation Walking

Active Body Active Brain?

• Project is funded by Alzheimer's Australia

National Quality Dementia Care Initiative in

June 2012

• Partnered with ACH Group (SA and Vic)

• Aims to increase national access to and

uptake of HFW for people with all stages of

dementia and their carers

• Aims to evaluate Quality of Life impact for

walking participants and their carers

• Project pilot includes existing HFW groups

and organisations new to HFW

• Project aims to build on the success of HFW

by developing tailored dementia specific

training & resources


Active Body Active Brain – project

process

• Project Reference Group formation

Consumers and staff from relevant professional

organisations

• Formative information gathering

On line survey to HFW participants – 27%

response rate

Face to face focus groups with HFW and Aged

Care employees

Promotion at National Aged Care Conference in

August 2012

Engagement with participants via HFW Facebook

page

Workshop with SA HFW participants

• Resource & Evaluation development

Wallet card, fridge magnets & tips and tools

Quality of Life assessment tool

John has

dementia

….he is a real

asset to our

group

One lady with

dementia walked

with us, it was

fantastic to learn

from her journey

and see others

gain knowledge

I think that the

walking and the

social aspects of

the program

would be helpful

for people with

dementia

It may discourage

others in the group if

they find it

uncomfortable to

communicate with

them….

Where does our

responsibility

lie?


Resource

development


Pilot site locations and speciality


Pilot organisation type and distribution


Some of the

promotional outlets

• HFW newsletters to participants

• Article in HOPE newsletter

• HFW Facebook page

• Area Coordinator educational

teleconferences

• Joint media releases with ACH Group and

Alzheimer's Australia

• State & Territory media stories with pilot

sites

• Heart Foundation Health Information

Service

• Poster presentation at Australian Health

Promotion Association Conference in

June 2013

• Distribution of project flyer and resources

at Aged Care conferences

• Presentation at Dementia Recreation

Conference Oct 2013


· Public


Project outcomes to date

The formal evaluation will be taking place later in 2013

• Increased awareness and understanding of dementia by HFW Area Coordinators and

volunteer Walk Organiser’s. Including people with dementia is a real option for

participants

• New dementia specific resources to support participation

• Increased participation of people with dementia in walking groups

• 25 HFW pilot sites, some with multiple groups involving or planning to involve people

with dementia and their carers

• Anecdotal improvements in physical, social and mental health as a result of walking

• Anecdotal reductions in symptoms such as depression, anxiety, apathy and agitation

“...brilliant HFW - it's great to include people with dementia”


What’s ahead- June

to December 2013

• All pilot sites will be walking and complete

the12 week pilot period

• Pre and Post walk evaluations will be

completed

• Evaluation results will be collated

• Resources finalised and printed

• On line training site will be finalised

• Further local and national promotion

• Final project report to Alzheimer's Australia

• Active Body Active Brain training and

resources will be integrated into the

standard HFW program


Thank you very much

Helen Morley

National Project Officer


[email protected]

08 8224 2823

Health Information Service on 1300 36 27 87

www.heartfoundation.org.au/walking

Heart Foundation Walking Active Body Active Brain

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