Online rehab program for rural lung patients to expand across Maritimes

Lily MacDonald was initially skeptical when she logged on to an online workout session for women with COPD. The idea of exercising at her kitchen table seemed unappealing to her. However, as a resident of Glace Bay, N.S., she decided to give it a try as part of a pilot project offering virtual physical rehabilitation to lung patients in rural areas of the province.

To her surprise, MacDonald found the experience to be incredibly rewarding. “At first I thought, ‘How can I exercise, what am I going to do?'” she recalled. “But I felt great. As it happens, you live by yourself, you have no motivation, but I started back into exercising.”

The pilot project, spearheaded by Carley O’Neill, an assistant professor in Acadia University’s kinesiology program, and clinical exercise physiologist, was a huge success. Recognizing the high prevalence of COPD in Nova Scotia, O’Neill saw the need for accessible rehabilitation programs for those unable to attend in-person sessions.

With the support of her student, Amanda Daniels, O’Neill launched a virtual class for around 50 women across the province, ranging from 43 to 86 years old. The participants were divided into small groups and met online twice a week to exercise from the comfort of their homes. They were provided with workout bands, pulse oximeters, and encouraged to use household items like water bottles as weights to ensure cost was not a barrier to participation.

Daniels, who hails from Labrador City, N.L., understood the challenges faced by individuals in rural areas seeking medical care. She emphasized the importance of the program in providing much-needed support to those living alone and lacking access to traditional rehabilitation services.

For MacDonald, who had previously struggled to attend in-person classes due to transportation issues, the virtual program was a game-changer. She appreciated the sense of community fostered through the online sessions and the convenience of being able to participate from home.

What started as a physical rehabilitation initiative soon evolved into a source of mental and emotional support for participants. O’Neill and Daniels were heartened to see the positive impact on participants’ overall well-being, in addition to their physical health.

Thanks to a new grant from the Lung Association of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, O’Neill plans to expand the program to include individuals of all genders in the Maritime provinces. She hopes to conduct a feasibility study to assess the project’s long-term viability and eventually make it available to lung patients in rural communities across Canada.

In conclusion, the virtual rehabilitation program has proven to be a lifeline for individuals like Lily MacDonald, offering much-needed support and motivation to manage their COPD and improve their quality of life.