June 4, 2025

Over the past three and a half years, Plena Healthcare’s unbelievable team of clinicians have been turning hundreds of aged care residents living in homes within the North-West Melbourne Public Health Network (NWMPHN) catchment into champions of strength, balance and mobility.

From June 2021 to December 2024, our team rolled up their sleeves, got out their Thera-bands and balance balls and delivered the SUNBEAM-style exercise program as part of the NWMPHN’s Allied Health in Residential Aged Care Homes initiative. Think of it as Bootcamp… if Bootcamp had more sit-to-stand exercises and fewer protein shakes.

The mission? Help Aged Care residents bounce back from the deconditioning that hit hard during the pandemic lockdowns.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Let’s get into the details. Over six rounds of the program, across 50 Aged Care homes, our clinicians helped 726 residents complete the 13-week program. That’s 726 people who now fear fewer falls and feel more confident when their family visits.

Here’s how we stacked up:

  • Strength & Balance (SPPB): Residents improved by an average of +19.14% across all rounds. That’s a noticeable upgrade in steadiness, and fewer incidents of accidentally using the hallway wall as a dance partner.
  • Average Falls Per Participant: A reduction of -15.18%. Translation: more standing ovations, fewer emergency room visits.
  • Total Falls: A dramatic -23.99% drop. We call that a true increase in resident independence and confidence.

KPIs Crushed

We didn’t just show up—we delivered. For the July–December 2024 round alone, Plena met every single key performance indicator. We hit our enrolment targets, got 91% of participants past the 15-hour exercise threshold, and made sure 100% had baseline and endpoint data recorded.

The Real Heroes: Our Clinicians and Residents

While the stats are great, what really makes us beam (SUNBEAM pun very much intended) are the stories—of residents walking steadier, standing taller, and laughing louder. Our clinicians have been cheering on small wins and finding creative ways to motivate a room full of people who’ve seen more life than most of us can imagine.

It’s been an honour to be part of this collaborative effort with NWMPHN. We thank every provider, manager, staff member, family member, and of course, every resident who let us into their homes and gave our program a go—even when we asked them to do “just five more steps.”

Here’s to a future with fewer falls, more fun, and plenty more Plena-powered progress.

Article by Ross Cunningham