A new program at the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center is restoring the health and wellness of our Nation’s veterans.
Motivation to Move (MTM) is an exercise program designed to fit the needs of military veterans in the medical center’s Community Living Center (CLC) – the VA version of a nursing home. The MTM program was started in January of this year by Recreation Therapy Assistant Leyna Lloyd and an interdisciplinary workgroup that includes the facility nursing and physical therapy team members. Lloyd was tapped to develop the program by West Palm Beach VA Medical Center Director Donna Katen-Bahensky in an effort to prevent falls among residents living in the CLC. Lloyd, who has been working at the medical center for eight years, was more than happy to oblige.
“The veterans here in the CLC are like my extended family and I’m always looking for ways to help improve their quality of life,” she explained. “I’ve seen many of them lose their motivation over the years to stay physically active, so I developed a program that could focus on improving their physical as well as their mental health and stability.”
MTM sessions are offered weekly and help veterans focus on improving muscle strength, definition, flexibility, balance and agility; increase energy and stamina; improve mood; and decrease stress, anxiety and depression. The program has been a hit among CLC residents and has even helped some get out of their wheelchairs and onto their feet.
