Service impact
We wanted to find out how our new type of senior service affects older people's outdoor activities, physical activity, loneliness and quality of life.
Gubbe's service is proven to double the number of weekly outdoor activities*
*Studies were carried out in seven different municipalities: Kuusamo, Kauniainen, Vantaa, Raahe, Uusikaupunki, Naantali and Aura. The subjects who participated in the study lived at home and had an average age of 82 years. Data were obtained from 67 to 76 persons. The research data have been collected from the impact studies to be carried out in connection with municipal pilots in 2022. The duration of the pilots ranged from 3 to 12 months. The data for the study were collected from the first two months in order to maintain comparability.
Outdoor recreation is a basic human need and not being outdoors threatens one's ability to function. In addition to physical activity, moving outdoors improves the quality of life and autonomy of older people. (Age Institute 2015c).
The number of weekly outdoor visits more than doubled with 2 months of Gubbe visits. The number of outdoor activities began to increase significantly from the first visit to Gubbe.
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Due to the fear of falling and mobility problems, many elderly people are unable to move out of their homes and restrict their movement (Age Institute 2015 a; Merchant et al. 2020). Gubbe visits allow you to enjoy the fresh outdoors and bring safety to outdoor activities.
The number of outdoor visitors increased significantly with the service. 80% of older people who did not go outside before the start of Gubbe visits began to go outdoors at least once a week with Gubbe visits.
The more often an elderly person has access to outdoor activities and mobility, the better his level of health (Institute of Age 2015 b) .Daily steps have been proven to be related to the condition of the respiratory and circulatory system, muscle strength of the lower extremities and well-being (Harada et al. 2017). Gubbe inspires older people to get outdoors even outside Gubbe visits.
Gubbe visits also benefit older people who are already outdoors. The number of older people going out more than three times a week more than tripled with visits to Gubbe.
Gubbe's service is proven to double the number of weekly exercise times*
*The study was conducted in three different municipalities: Kuusamo, Kauniainen and Uusikaupunki. The subjects who participated in the study lived at home and had an average age of 81 years. Data was obtained from 22 people. The research data have been collected from the impact studies to be carried out in connection with municipal pilots in 2022. Data has been collected at the start and end of the pilot project. The duration of the pilot projects was 6 months in Kuusamo and Kauniainen and 5 months in Uusikaupunki.
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Regular movement ensures that you can survive in everyday life and prevent falls. Even light exercise stimulates, promotes blood circulation and improves fat metabolism. (FAQ Institute 2019.)
In total, the number of weekly exercise sessions more than doubled with 2 months of Gubbe visits. The number of exercise times began to increase immediately from the first visit to Gubbe.
Immobility is even the fourth largest risk factor for death (WHO 2009) and the harm it causes is comparable to smoking (Lee et al. 2012). A week of bed rest can atrophy muscle strength by up to 25% (Timonen 2007). The gubbe assistant encourages and helps to move.
The number of people moving is clearly increasing with the service. 70% of older people who did not move before the start of Gubbe visits began to move with Gubbe visits at least once a week.
In addition to endurance, people over 65 should exercise balance, stretching and muscle strength a couple of times a week, as well as strive for light movement and taking breaks from sitting as often as possible (UK-Institutet 2019). Gubbe visits help to develop functional abilities in a variety of ways that the elderly person wishes.
Gubbe visits also benefit older people who are already moving. The number of elderly people moving more than three times a week almost tripled with visits to Gubbe. Most of the visits were accompanied by stair and chair jogging, stretching and walking.
More than half felt Gubbe visits reduced feelings of loneliness*
*The study was conducted in three different municipalities: Kuusamo, Kauniainen and Uusikaupunki. The subjects who participated in the study lived at home and had an average age of 81 years. Data was obtained from 22 people. The research data have been collected from the impact studies to be carried out in connection with municipal pilots in 2022. Data has been collected at the start and end of the pilot project. The duration of the pilot projects was 6 months in Kuusamo and Kauniainen and 5 months in Uusikaupunki.
Social isolation, low social support, and loneliness are known to have a detrimental effect on quality of life, especially in aging (Freak-Poli et al. 2022), where the importance of regular and same-person visits is emphasized.
In the study, when discussing Gubbe visits, more than half of the participants focused on themes related to social interaction and loneliness. More than a third said that the most meaningful of all visits to Gubbe were being together, increasing human contact and having conversations together.
“With the human contact provided by the gubbe visits, I feel that I have regained my zest for life.”
“I feel more refreshed when I got company and my life doesn't feel so lonely.”
“The gubbe visits have been helpful, as gubbe has helped with housework and I've been able to get out, which I haven't been able to do before.”
Gubbe's service has a proven positive impact on quality of life*
*The study was conducted in three different municipalities: Kuusamo, Kauniainen and Uusikaupunki. The subjects who participated in the study lived at home and had an average age of 81 years. Data was obtained from 22 people. The research data have been collected from the impact studies to be carried out in connection with municipal pilots in 2022. Data has been collected at the start and end of the pilot project. The duration of the pilot projects was 6 months in Kuusamo and Kauniainen and 5 months in Uusikaupunki.
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According to the WHO definition, health-related quality of life refers to the mental, physical and social health conditions experienced by an individual.
The different aspects of quality of life can be broken down as follows: physical activity, vision, hearing, breathing, sleeping, eating, speaking, habitual functions, memory functions, ailments and symptoms, depression, anxiety, energy/vitality. As we age, health-related quality of life emphasizes dimensions of meaning in life, such as experiences of enjoying life and happiness (Heimonen et al. 2017).
Especially in the performance of normal activities, in the experience of ailments and symptoms, as well as in mood, there were positive developments.
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We can start the service within one week!
