Targeted mobility training for seniors has been offered since the summer of 2022 at the day care center of the Caritas Social Station Sankt Michael in Zeuzleben. “The goal is to help them feel more confident when walking,” says care assistant Denise Wörner. She has studied the G-WEG method in depth and completed the corresponding training. The special grid patterns on the printed mat simulate a path as it might appear outdoors. Day program participants can walk on it alone or side by side—either on or next to a printed row of cobblestones or through the simulated grassy areas. Some seniors walk with their walkers, others with a staff member’s arm, and still others are brave enough to walk on their own. “They realize, ‘I can still take a few steps on my own,’” says Denise Wörner, “and that boosts their self-confidence.”
Overcoming the Fear of Running
The grid squares of the G-WEG practically invite you to walk. “Our senior citizens often gain the confidence to try it when they see that others can do it too,” the care assistant has observed. Especially when day-care guests have fallen at home before, the G-WEG is designed to encourage them to overcome their fear of walking.
Day care guest Paula Neubauer can walk again—albeit for a short distance without any assistance, and otherwise with the help of a walker. She had experienced a few falls at home but has since regained more confidence in her walking. Elisabeth Wehner is also happy to be mobile again with her walker at the Sankt Michael day care center.
With various exercises
To kick off the weekly mobility training session with the G-WEG, Denise Wörner usually sets up chairs on both sides of the walking mat. The seniors take their seats there and begin with leg and foot exercises. Then they toss a ball or balloon back and forth. Afterward, they can walk the path alone or in pairs. Often, everyone sings a song together, such as “Mein Vater war ein Wandersmann,” to distract the walkers so they look forward instead of at the ground. Or the walker is asked to wave a hat while walking, explains the instructor. Those who feel completely confident can place their feet exactly one behind the other and balance on the painted pavement with the help of their arms. Depending on physical fitness, there are different levels of difficulty for the exercises.
