Poster Project Looks To Get Seniors Moving

In co-operation with the City of Fredericton, the home has acquired eight high-resolution aerial posters, each displaying one of the cities walking trails.

Organizers hope the movie posters will help physically disabled residents enjoy Fredericton's trails for themselves.

"People really want to see where they are going and how far they are going and this gives them an opportunity to see it," said Reid Roberts, a rehabilitation worker at the home who came up with the idea. "It will hopefully get more of our residents out, give them some motivation and show them that they are going some place."

The posters, which were unveiled Monday afternoon, hang in front of a bicycle-like device meant for residents without use of their legs. As users move along at their own speed, a rehab worker charts how much of the trail they have completed.

"We want the residents to participate and be physically active but if we start saying you have to go this far at this speed, they are going to lose interest," Roberts said. "If they are going on their own initiative, they will want to go further and farther, and faster."

Ward 11 Coun. Dan Keenan, who helped York Manor get the posters, was on hand Monday to see the finished product.

"I think the maps look excellent. People are really going to enjoy watching these photos while they are getting active and moving and that's what this all about," he said. "When we look at our senior population, one of the keys to health is staying active, and anything we can do to encourage that is beneficial."

Roberts said he hopes non disabled residents also use the posters.

"This is for anybody and everybody that wants to come in and try it," he said.

"We even hope to get pedometers put on some of our walking residents, and after a 24-hour period they could come in and see how far they have went."

More posters are a possibility, too. Roberts plans to work with Keenan again, and contact Fredericton North MLA T.J Burke in hopes of receiving more government funding.

"We would like to eventually get provincial maps and then residents could walk around New Brunswick and maybe even further if we get national trail maps." he said.

June 03, 2008