Fostering a healthy lifestyle: a team effort!
On this page:
Introduction
A healthy lifestyle is important for all of us, including people with an intellectual disability. The objective of the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) project ‘Fostering a healthy lifestyle: a team effort!’ (Ondersteunen gezonde leefstijl: de krachten gebundeld!) is to create an environment for these people that is conducive to healthy living.
To develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle, people with an intellectual disability depend on the support of professional carers and a physical and social environment that stimulates healthy living: a so-called ‘health-enhancing environment’.
Set of 3 projects
This research initiative comprises 3 subprojects:
1. Gathering information from people with intellectual disabilities and their professional carers about health, the importance of a healthy lifestyle and the contextual support needed
2. Developing a learning pathway for professional carers based on their input
3. Implementing and evaluating the learning pathway
Benefits to practice
This learning pathway, for use within teams of professional carers, will be available to healthcare organisations via the Dutch knowledge platform Kennisplein from 2021.
For more information:
• www.facebook.com/groups/krachtengebundeld
• Website Hanzehogeschool
About the researcher
What is your role within the Academic Collaborative Centre related to people with PIMD?
My research topic is lifestyle in people with a moderate to profound intellectual disability. My particular focus is on carers and the support that they can provide in the areas of diet and physical exercise.
What do you hope to achieve?
My ambition is to create a healthier environment for people with a moderate to profound intellectual disability. People with PIMD depend on others making healthy lifestyle choices on their behalf. That’s why I consider it so important that the professionals caring for people with PIMD know what is healthy and are made aware of the sometimes very simple steps that they can take to foster a healthy lifestyle.