THERAPIE & PRAXIS
Regaining confidence with games
At the geriatric day clinic of the Evangelisches Krankenhaus Essen-Steele, the THERA-Trainer senso is used to combine movement, balance and cognitive tasks. A case report published on Lokalkompass Wesel, a German local news site, shows how interactive training can support older patients in regaining confidence in their own mobility after falls.
Jakob Tiebel
Health Business Consultant
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Falls in older age often leave more than just physical consequences. In addition to fractures and diminished mobility, a marked fear of falling can lead patients to increasingly avoid physical activity, risking a downward spiral of insecurity, inactivity and further functional decline.
This is where the geriatric team in Essen-Steele comes in. On the THERA-Trainer senso, movement and cognitive tasks are combined: stepping movements and weight shifting control interactive games, simultaneously challenging strength, coordination, balance and attention. Progress is instantly visible, providing an additional source of motivation.
The case of an 82-year-old patient following surgical treatment for a femoral fracture demonstrates just how rapidly functional stability can be restored. Clinical Director Dr Hans-Christoph Heuer had first met the patient confined to bed, suffering from severe pain. Just four weeks later, she was already attending training without a rollator. For Heuer, this progress is the result of the therapeutic input provided by occupational therapy and physiotherapy, but also of the new training device.
The principle of prevention also remains a key consideration. Heuer’s advice on healthy ageing is therefore clear: “Keep moving – even when it’s tough going!”
This case report demonstrates how technology-assisted training can complement conventional geriatric therapy: not solely through movement-based exercise, but through the integration of motor function, cognition, motivation and real-time feedback.
Falls in older age often leave more than just physical consequences. In addition to fractures and diminished mobility, a marked fear of falling can lead patients to increasingly avoid physical activity, risking a downward spiral of insecurity, inactivity and further functional decline.
This is where the geriatric team in Essen-Steele comes in. On the THERA-Trainer senso, movement and cognitive tasks are combined: stepping movements and weight shifting control interactive games, simultaneously challenging strength, coordination, balance and attention. Progress is instantly visible, providing an additional source of motivation.
The case of an 82-year-old patient following surgical treatment for a femoral fracture demonstrates just how rapidly functional stability can be restored. Clinical Director Dr Hans-Christoph Heuer had first met the patient confined to bed, suffering from severe pain. Just four weeks later, she was already attending training without a rollator. For Heuer, this progress is the result of the therapeutic input provided by occupational therapy and physiotherapy, but also of the new training device.
The principle of prevention also remains a key consideration. Heuer’s advice on healthy ageing is therefore clear: “Keep moving – even when it’s tough going!”
This case report demonstrates how technology-assisted training can complement conventional geriatric therapy: not solely through movement-based exercise, but through the integration of motor function, cognition, motivation and real-time feedback.
“Keep moving – even when it’s tough going!”
Nina Schwarz (therapist at the Evangelisches Krankenhaus Essen-Steele) training with her patient, Karin A. (82), on the THERA-Trainer senso. Photo: Kliniken Essen-Mitte / Ines Walter.
Jakob Tiebel
Health Business Consultant
Jakob Tiebel is OT and studied applied psychology with a focus on health economics. He has clinical expertise from his previous therapeutic work in neurorehabilitation. He conducts research and publishes on the theory-practice transfer in neurorehabilitation and is the owner of an agency for digital health marketing.
References:
- Dabitsch, M. (2026, 17. Januar). Mit Videospielen die Mobilität verbessern. Der Weseler – Lokalkompass, Rubrik.