The Olot City Council and the OAFI Foundation are collaborating to improve joint health and quality of life for older adults

The facilities of the Fundació Antic Hospital Sant Jaume d’Olot—the Montsacopa and Sant Jaume nursing homes and the assisted-living residences for seniors in Balmes and Parc Nou—have earned OAFI Space certification with a compliance rate exceeding 80%. The assessment analyzed a total of 37 different spaces and 866 items to ensure safer, more accessible, and more comfortable facilities for residents.

The Olot City Council and the Consorci d’Acció Social de la Garrotxa they continue to work to improve the well-being and quality of life of older adults, especially those who require long-term care. Over the past few months, the Osteoarthritis Foundation International (OAFI) has implemented its OAFI Space program at the four residential facilities in Olot: the Montsacopa nursing home, the Sant Jaume nursing home, the Balmes Building, and the Parc Nou Building apartments.

The OAFI Space project is a pioneering initiative focused on reviewing, evaluating, and certifying facilities based on their suitability for joint health needs. To this end, a multidisciplinary team of specialists in architecture and medicine has conducted an exhaustive study of each of the city’s four centers, analyzing a total of 37 spaces and 866 items.

In all cases, the facilities in Olot have received OAFI Space Quality Accreditation with a very high compliance rate, exceeding 80%. This certification guarantees that the spaces promote the joint health of their residents. Specifically, the Montsacopa Nursing Home achieved an 88% compliance rate—with 15 spaces and 348 items analyzed—; the Sant Jaume Nursing Home, 85%—16 spaces and 401 items—; the Balmes Building, 83%—10 spaces and 229 items—; and the Parc Nou Housing Complex, 81%—12 spaces and 289 items—.

A program to prevent a disease that is becoming increasingly common in society

The main objective of the program in Olot is to identify potential improvements in the ergonomics of the spaces to prevent accidents and falls, facilitate daily mobility, and protect the joint health of its residents. The assessments take into account numerous factors and parameters, such as the type of flooring, the presence of non-slip surfaces, the height of furniture and bathroom fixtures, the absence of obstacles in the hallways, as well as the availability of natural light and ventilation.

Generally speaking, the main issues identified at the four facilities in Olot are concentrated in the outdoor areas, terraces and gardens. The recommendations focus on rectifying uneven paving, marking changes in level, adjusting the dimensions and heights of certain items of street furniture in communal areas, fitting non-slip flooring and installing additional handrails in toilets and passageways.

Based on these analyses and recommendations, the management teams at the centres will be able to plan a phased programme of improvements.

The International Osteoarthritis Foundation, based in La Garrotxa

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition that affects more than 595 million people worldwide — particularly women — and has a direct impact on the independence, mobility and mood of those who suffer from it. In Spain, more than 7 million people have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis and more than 3 million with osteoporosis. Although it is often associated with ageing, increased life expectancy and certain sporting activities have led to it being diagnosed with increasing frequency in young people and athletes.

The International Osteoarthritis Foundation (OAFI) is a member of the Catalan Government’s Department of Health’s Patient Advisory Council and is the only independent, not-for-profit foundation in the world dedicated to supporting people with osteoarthritis. Internationally recognised and a leading authority in the management of these conditions, it was founded in Barcelona in 2016 by Dr Josep Vergés with the aim of promoting awareness, education, prevention, treatment and research into joint health.

Furthermore, its aim has been to support people living with this condition and offer them solutions to help alleviate their pain and improve their quality of life, and the project is now being rolled out in Olot.

Over the last ten years, the foundation has spearheaded awareness-raising programmes on the disease to raise public awareness and reduce its impact. As part of its expansion and collaboration with the local community, it will soon open its second office, located in the parish of Sant Esteve de Llémena, in the municipality of Sant Aniol de Finestres.

This project is scheduled to open its doors later this summer, with the official opening ceremony taking place on 26 September. It will offer specialist medical care – through a charity clinic – as well as workshops, informative talks and outreach activities open to the public. Over the past year, the foundation, with the support of the Department of Health, has already carried out free screening tests for the prevention and early detection of joint diseases, aimed at members of the public in the various municipalities of La Garrotxa that have requested the service. Both initiatives also have the backing of the Health Committee of the Parliament of Catalonia.