Barbara Tait Takes Exercise Reins at Belong

Barbara Tait Takes Exercise Reins at Belong

Barbara Tait has been appointed as lead exercise specialist at Belong, heading up the group’s award-winning, in-house exercise provision responsible for remarkable outcomes for older people.

Highly qualified and passionate about her vocation, Barbara was part of the team behind Belong’s fitness and wellbeing strategy having successfully developed the vision for the organisation’s launch fifteen years ago. She returns to the post following a stint volunteering in disaster relief in her native South Africa.

With supporting customers to enjoy an active lifestyle whilst maintaining their independence at the heart of its thinking, Belong’s holistic approach maximises health through use of an in-house gym and a dedicated exercise specialist within each of its villages across the North West and West Midlands.

The pioneering approach to dementia care sees exercise specialists like Barbara devise personalised fitness programmes to complement customers’ care plans, also linking with external ancillary services, such as NHS health practitioners, physiotherapy and rehabilitation.

Regular one-to-one gym sessions make use of state-of-the-art equipment selected specially to meet the needs of an older audience, such as accessible bike machines for wheelchair users. Meanwhile, weekly group sessions and walking clubs focus on falls prevention whilst promoting the social benefit of exercise.

One beneficiary of Barbara’s vision is resident Maureen Fitzpatrick, for whom exercise has been life changing. Following a stroke, the 90-year-old Scotswoman was left wheelchair-bound and coming to terms with losing both the ability to walk and function in her left hand.

Following months of work, she has relearned to walk with use of a walking frame by strengthening balance and coordination, taking advantage of an assisted bike, a stepper machine, and interactive cognitive games.

Barbara Tait, lead exercise specialist at Belong, said: “I’m especially pleased to be returning to lead Belong’s exercise department. I believe in – and have seen many times over – the truly transformative power that exercise can have for older people.

“In Maureen’s case, without the service she would have digressed and most likely require two carers for 24-hour support. Instead, she’s maintaining a good level of independence. Many of our customers tell us that as they age, they want to retain their physical and cognitive health as much as possible, so our goal is to assist in making this happen.”

Maureen Fitzpatrick, resident at Belong, added: “Thanks to Barbara, joy has returned as I feel I’ve got my life back. On top of all the exercise, she’s taught me about posture, hydration and breathing, and I value that she dignifies me and treats me as a person. I’m proud to have achieved what I have and I’ll keep it up to be able to hold my grandson when he is born later this year.”

Pictured: Barbara Tait, lead exercise specialist at Belong, with resident Maureen Fitzpatrick