Promotion of Physical, Social, and Community Activities in Older Adults by Primary care and Home care Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Survey
A 2025 cross-sectional survey of Swiss healthcare professionals reveals that while most routinely encourage older adults to engage in physical and social activities, there is a notable gap in structured referrals and self-perceived confidence, highlighting a need for targeted training in behavior change techniques to better bridge general encouragement with concrete community support.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
Growing older well is about more than just avoiding illness; it is about keeping the body strong, the mind sharp, and the spirit connected to others. For many people, the key to a long, healthy life lies in staying active and maintaining social ties within their own neighborhoods. Walking with a friend, joining a local club, or attending a community event are not just pastimes; they are vital habits that help older adults stay independent and happy. Yet, despite knowing these benefits, many older people do not participate in such activities. They face barriers like loneliness, lack of confidence, or simply not knowing where to look. This is where the people who care for them daily—doctors, nurses, and therapists—step in. These healthcare workers see older adults regularly and are uniquely positioned to encourage them to get out and engage with their communities. The question is not just whether they should do this, but how they actually do it in their busy, everyday work.
A team of researchers in Switzerland recently set out to understand exactly how healthcare professionals in primary care and home settings support older adults in becoming more active and social. They wanted to know if these professionals simply tell patients to "go for a walk" or if they provide specific, structured help to get them into local programs. The study focused on two regions in Switzerland and included a wide range of workers, from doctors and nurses to psychologists and nutritionists. The researchers asked these professionals to describe their daily habits: Do they talk about physical activity? Do they suggest social events? Do they know what local groups are available? They also asked about the tools these workers use to change behavior, such as giving advice, setting goals, or involving family members. Finally, they wanted to know how confident these workers felt in their ability to motivate older people and whether they believed their patients actually wanted to be more active.
The results revealed a clear picture of what is happening on the ground. Most of the healthcare professionals surveyed, about eighty percent, reported that they regularly encourage their older patients to be socially active. A similar number, roughly seventy-four percent, encouraged physical activity. However, when it came to taking the next step and referring patients to specific exercise programs or organized community groups, the numbers dropped significantly. Less than half of the professionals, about forty-seven percent, said they routinely made these specific referrals. It seems that while the general idea of "stay active" is widely shared, the concrete action of connecting a patient to a specific local group is less common. On average, the professionals reported using about five different methods to encourage their patients. The most common approaches were simply providing information about available activities, offering support that was easy to access, and involving the patient's family or friends in the process.
Despite their willingness to help, the healthcare workers expressed some uncertainty about their own skills. While a large majority felt positive about the idea of community activities and believed they were part of their job to encourage them, fewer felt truly confident in their ability to actually motivate a patient to change. Only about forty-seven percent felt very capable of influencing an older person's motivation, and only about fifty-nine percent felt they had the necessary knowledge to do so effectively. This hesitation seemed to shape their view of the patients themselves. When asked to estimate how many of their patients were motivated to join community activities, the professionals gave a wide range of answers, but the middle estimate was that only about forty percent of their patients were ready to participate. This suggests that while the professionals are willing to offer a nudge, they are not entirely sure that their patients are ready to take the step, or that they have the right tools to make that step happen.
The study also found that the type of workplace mattered. Professionals working in private settings were more likely to refer patients to exercise programs than those in public institutions. Similarly, those who felt more satisfied with their work environment were more likely to promote social activities. The researchers noted that the professionals who worked most closely with patients over time, such as physiotherapists and psychologists, tended to believe their patients were more motivated to participate than doctors did. This difference might reflect the nature of their interactions, where repeated sessions allow for deeper conversations about goals and barriers. However, the study did not find that one profession was universally better at this work; rather, it highlighted that the approach varies depending on the setting and the specific relationship between the worker and the patient.
Ultimately, this research paints a hopeful but incomplete picture. Healthcare professionals in these Swiss regions are clearly aware of the importance of physical and social activity for older adults and are actively trying to promote it. They are not ignoring the problem. However, there is a gap between the general encouragement they offer and the structured, specific support that might be needed to get an older person into a walking group or a social club. The professionals themselves feel they need more training and better tools to bridge this gap. They know they should help, but they are not always sure how to do it effectively. The study suggests that to truly help older adults stay active and connected, the focus may need to shift from simply telling them to be active to giving healthcare workers the specific skills and resources they need to make those connections happen.
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