A day in the life — A day in the

A DAY

IN THE LIFE ...

LAILA KAAWI

15 YEARS ON...

Aged care support worker and trainer Laila Kaawi reflects on her journey so far.

Laila Kaawi, an aged care support worker and a trainer at Macquarie Community College, has worked in the aged care industry for a decade and a half. One of her early memories as a carer is of a client with a “very progressed dementia and argumentative behaviour that caused concern”.

“On one regular afternoon at work, I was taking care of this client and needed to wake him for his afternoon tea. With some reassuring words and light touch on his arm I gently woke him up and was met with tears in his eyes and a gentle demeanour. It was like in this moment his dementia had subsided and he went back to his regular happy self. I continued this approach and managed to build a great working relationship with this client in his last days of life. I could tell he appreciated this and in that instant, I knew that the work I was doing could make a difference in someone’s life,” Laila said.

She entered the aged care sector as a volunteer and instantly found her calling. “I loved how I could make a difference in people’s lives and meeting so many great people.” Fifteen years on, she has grown as a person and a professional, and has not gotten over her genuine passion for helping people.

While continuing her role as a support worker, Laila also teaches new students knowledge and skills vital to the aged care industry.

A June 2022 report, Duty of care: Aged care sector in crisis, by CEDA, found that annual staff shortage has doubled in less than a year — escalating from 17,000 to 35,000 due to a combination of challenging pandemic driven circumstances and a lack of action by governments.

Low wages, difficult working conditions and the negative attention the sector has received since the Royal Commission don’t make it even more difficult to attract and retain talent. Laila’s message to those considering working on the aged care industry is that “it is truly a rewarding and satisfying job. Being able to wake up every day and make a difference in people’s lives is not something everyone can do. Each day you will meet new people that have an impact on your life and open your mind to new cultures and ideas.”

Aged care is a way of giving back to society and a way of making a difference in people’s life, according to Laila. “I encourage both people to work in aged care and people to trust us with their family members as I know the high quality of care that a specialist can provide but often the media doesn’t portray. The benefits of working in this sector are the training you receive, the people you meet but most importantly, the changes it makes to you and the perspective it gives you on life.”

Reflecting on a typical day in her life Laila said, “I always start my day with a positive attitude, always looking forward to seeing the clients and making sure I go and see each one of them and greet them on my first round of the floor. I like joking with them to make them feel happy and seeing the smile on their faces brings me joy. From there I begin my work.”

Outside of work, Laila likes to spend time with her family and nine (almost 10) grandchildren, going on long walks to clear her mind and exercising. n

WALKING FOOTBALL

CAN ENHANCE OLDER PEOPLE’S MOBILITY

Physical activity, social interaction and a sense of community are among the effects of walking football, a popular senior sport addressed in a recent study.

Findings from the study by the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences (GIH), the Center for Health and Performance (CHP) at the University of Gothenburg and the Swedish Football Association (SvFF) show that the sport promotes health and has the potential to get more people exercising far into old age.

Part of the group’s framework of the ‘Walking Football for Health’ project, the study involved 65 walking football players from three clubs (Enskede IK, IFK Viksjö and IF Elfsborg). Walking football resembles the regular version of the game (soccer) but is usually played on a smaller pitch, with fewer players per team and at walking pace. A player must always have one foot touching the ground.

The players participated in up to four field tests of six-player teams in two halves of 20 minutes each as a part of the study. On one occasion, the participants underwent various laboratory tests of performance, including strength, fitness, balance and jumping ability. They were also asked to fill out a questionnaire about walking football, sociodemographic variables (age, gender, education, etc), lifestyle and health.

The study group comprised 45 men and 20 women, aged 71 years on average, whose health profile conformed to that of the general population of the same age. Two-thirds were overweight (BMI over 25) and nearly half had been diagnosed with high blood pressure.

Compared with the general population, the walking footballers’ fitness, grip strength, balance, leg strength and jumping ability were somewhat higher. Their physical activity pattern, measured with pedometers over seven days, was comparable to that of younger people (aged 50–64) in the general population.

GPS data showed that the participants averaged 2.4 km (2.5 for men and 2.2 for women) in a 40-minute walking football game. Their average heart rate was 131 beats per minute in the first half and 133 in the second. On the 20-point Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale, participants ranked 12.1 for the first half and 12.9 for the second.

INTENSITY SUITABLE FOR MANY

Both before and after walking football sessions, the participants’ self-rated wellbeing was relatively high. The main reasons they cited for taking part in organised walking football were socialising with others, exercise and physical training, being part of a group and team, and having previously played football and found they were missing it.

“Overall, the results show that a 40-minute walking football session is a medium-intensity activity for the target group studied,” said GIH University Lecturer Helena Andersson, now active at Umeå University.

“The study also shows that the participants in this group not only feel well and are already active, but come from varying backgrounds and walks of life. This opens the way for many more people to be included and stay active right up to an advanced age,” said University Lecturer Elin Ekblom Bak at GIH.

“Walking football roughly corresponds to what’s often intended with the Swedish method Physical Activity on Prescription, which is aimed at preventing and treating disease,” said Professor Mats Börjesson of the University of Gothenburg. “In order to include walking football in the method we want to proceed with an intervention study where walking football is tested as a treatment.” n

iStockphoto.com/eclipse_images

CONNECT. SEARCH

AGEDHEALTH

PRINT / DIGITAL / MOBILE VISIT WWW.AGEDHEALTH.COM.AU

Editor: Mansi Gandhi ah@wfmedia.com.au

Contributing Editor: Amy Sarcevic Publishing Director/MD: Geoff Hird Art Director/Production Manager: Julie Wright Art/Production: Linda Klobusiak Circulation: Dianna Alberry, circulation@wfmedia.com.au Copy Control: Mitchie Mullins copy@wfmedia.com.au Advertising Manager: Kerrie Robinson +61 400 886 311 krobinson@wfmedia.com.au

Advertising Sales: Nikki Edwards +61 431 107 407 nedwards@wfmedia.com.au

PUBLISHED BY Westwick-Farrow Media A.B.N. 22 152 305 336

www.wfmedia.com.au

Head Office Unit 7, 6-8 Byfield Street, North Ryde Locked Bag 2226 North Ryde BC NSW 1670 AUSTRALIA ph: +61 2 9168 2500 If you have any queries regarding our privacy policy please email privacy@wfmedia.com.au Subscriptions for unregistered readers - price on application

CELEBRATING YEARS

Printed and bound by Dynamite Printing Print Post Approved PP100029283 ISSN 2653-4770

NOTICE: All material published in this magazine is published in good faith and every care is taken to accurately relay information provided to us. Readers are advised by the publishers to ensure that all necessary safety devices and precautions are installed and safe working procedures adopted before the use of any equipment found or purchased through the information we provide. Further, all performance criteria was provided by the representative company concerned and any dispute should be referred to them. Information indicating that products are made in Australia or New Zealand is supplied by the source company. Westwick-Farrow Pty Ltd does not quantify the amount of local content or the accuracy of the statement made by the source.