- Hi, Mom, says Hege Høvstad as she walks into the living room on the 4th floor of Rokilde Assisted Living in Kristiansund. Her mother lights up when Hege enters the room, and the joy of seeing each other is obvious. Hege hugs her mother first, then her mother's friend sitting in a chair beside her. The two women have become close friends since moving into Rokilde and are usually together in everything they do. Now they’re sitting side by side on the sofa, each with a cup of coffee.
Experienced loss of function
For the past year, Hege’s mother, who has dementia, has been living in an assisted living apartment. Her mother, who used to love going for walks, lost that opportunity when she moved into the facility.
- This is a new area, and she hasn’t dared to go outside alone, Hege explains. As a result, her mother ended up sitting still most of the day. - It’s been sad to see how quickly her condition declined, her daughter says.
When Hege met Tone Didriksen, she was inspired to do something about the situation.
- I saw that Tone was pulling out the bikes and talking about getting Motiview, so I just had to join in. We started a crowdfunding campaign and got great support from both the public and local businesses.
Fostering connection
In December, three of the nursing homes in Kristiansund began using Motiview, and the results have been overwhelmingly positive.
- Motiview brings people together. We see that residents naturally gather in the lounge where the Motiview system and the bikes are. There, they can either watch the videos or cycle together, Hege explains.
- Communication becomes completely different than when they’re just passively watching TV or staring into space. With the Motiview videos, they talk about what they see and places they’ve been. The social aspect of the video library is incredibly important.
Hege helps her mother and her mother’s friend get started with the video and the bikes. They sit close together, chatting animatedly.
- Mom loves watching videos from Oslo, because she lived there a lot when she was young, Hege says.- She enjoys seeing the Royal Palace and the palace gardens, and places she remembers from the old days. And then she chats away with her friend, Hege adds with a laugh.
- I often just sit behind them and listen to their wonderful conversations. I think it’s amazing. They wouldn’t have the energy to just sit and cycle while staring at a wall. These films are so beautiful, and they bring so much joy. As a relative, it’s so heartwarming to see them having such a good time. They cycle for over an hour and completely forget they’re even cycling.
Stopped on the street
Hege also notices excitement from other relatives.
- I’ve even been stopped by people I don’t know while out walking. They say the work we’ve done with the fundraiser is incredible, and they give tips on other places we could apply for more funding. We really feel that the community wants Motiview and the opportunities it brings for increased activity among the elderly. I’ve only received positive feedback everywhere.
Hege is interrupted by a man and a woman entering the room to cycle. She gets up to help them get settled in front of the bikes.
- Motiview and the cycling are just fantastic. It’s truly moving to see how it brings people together. And it’s fun to watch them while they cycle, Hege says, laughing.- It almost makes you want to hop on a bike yourself.
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