This unit applies to specialised exercise trainers, whose clients are adults aged 50 years and over who present with risk of an adverse event or exacerbation of impairment during exercise and have been provided an exercise prescription from an accredited exercise physiologist or relevant medical or allied health professional.
The specialised exercise trainer applies the understanding and skills to deliver the program and modify the program in terms of frequency, mode, intensity and volume to accommodate the progression of the client within the parameters prescribed by the accredited exercise physiologist or relevant medical or allied health professional.
They apply self directed application of knowledge and skills related to chronic conditions, and exercise judgment in delivering the prescribed exercise. The specialised exercise trainer demonstrates the ability to analyse the clients responses to exercise and where appropriate consult with the accredited exercise physiologist or relevant medical or allied health professional.
This unit excludes clients with cardiac disease and serious respiratory conditions.
SISFFIT314A Plan and deliver exercise for older clients with managed conditions
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide. |
1. Consult with referred clients presenting with chronic conditions. | 1.1. Receive exercise referral from a medical or allied health professional. 1.2. Confirm exercise referral has sufficient detail to allow flexibility for modifications to accommodate progression of the client. 1.3. Become familiar with typical adverse signs and symptoms that may arise during exercise for this pathology. 1.4. Consult with an appropriate medical or allied health professional as necessary. 1.5. Discuss with the client their complete exercise history and their chronic condition and co-morbidities and record information according to relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures. 1.6. Explain the physiology of chronic conditions and associated risk factors to the client in simple terms and confirm client understanding. 1.7. Explain to the client the causes and consequences of specific chronic conditions in the context of their effect on exercise capacity and conditions. 1.8. Explain to the client the role of physical activity and exercise in managing chronic conditions and enhancing health. 1.9. Confirm the outcomes of a goals and needs analysis in collaboration with the client and the medical or allied health professionals if appropriate. 1.10. Explain to the client and their family members where necessary their need to be referred back to a medical or allied health professional if their condition becomes unstable. 1.11. Establish client needs and identify any potential barriers to exercise, and discuss methods to enhance exercise adherence with the client. 1.12. Clarify any areas of concern with the referring medical or allied health professional, in conjunction with the client. 1.13. Obtain the informed consent of the client and maintain the client's records according to relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures. |
2. Deliver prescribed exercise programs. | 2.1. Undertake appropriate fitness assessments as required. 2.2. Work with medical or allied health professionals to deliver an exercise plan in accordance with recognised exercise recommendations, fitness test results, client limitations, and potential interactions of medications. 2.3. Explain to the client the different roles of cardiorespiratory and muscular conditioning, and the reasons for their inclusion as part of the client's exercise prescription. 2.4. Explain to the client the exercise variables to be delivered in the context of managing their specific cardiorespiratory conditions. 2.5. Apply instructional techniques to ensure safe and appropriate application of the exercise program by the client. 2.6. Demonstrate how modifications to the exercise can incorporate the different needs of older clients 2.7. Demonstrate the safe and appropriate use of selected exercise equipment and report or address any unsafe equipment according to organisational policies and procedures. |
3. Monitor and review clients responses to the prescribed exercise program. | 3.1. Monitor perceived exercise intensity and make adjustment as required. 3.2. Assess the client's performance and explain and correct any unsafe exercise procedures. 3.3. Monitor client responses for any typical signs and symptoms requiring intervention that may occur during exercise. 3.4. Apply procedures to respond to signs and symptoms requiring intervention as required according to relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures. 3.5. Recognise signs of an unstable condition and refer the client back to an appropriate medical or allied health professional. 3.6. Monitor progress and report outcomes to the client. 3.7. Revise the client's record and advise the referral source of suggested changes to the exercise program if required. |
4. Provide advice regarding additional lifestyle modifications to enhance the management of the condition. | 4.1. Obtain information about the client's current lifestyle. 4.2. Discuss possible barriers to behaviour change and implementation of healthy eating practices. 4.3. Recommend other lifestyles changes to improve current disease status. |
Required skills |
communication skills to provide clear instruction and constructive feedback to older clients, family members, medical or allied health professionals problem-solving skills to: identify exercises targeted at specific fitness components or medical conditions and make modifications where required recognise conditions outside own scope of practice and make appropriate recommendations and referrals team work skills to work collaboratively with medical or allied health professionals according to legal and ethical conditions literacy and numeracy skills to enable the accurate interpretation of referrals and to record client exercise programs and calculate and adjust exercise duration and frequency. decision making skills to determine appropriate instructional techniques planning and organising skills to plan and instruct the exercise session including accessing all required equipment and making appropriate modifications to equipment interpersonal skills to interact effectively with older adults. observation skills to monitor the performance of older clients and recognise where and when modifications are required. literacy skills to accurately document and report on client progress numeracy skills to manage the time of classes and facility schedules. |
Required knowledge |
the medical and allied health sector to enable appropriate recommendations to be made to older clients and family members principles of biomechanics and exercise science to enable the selection of exercises appropriate to participant conditions and needs physiological, social and emotional processes of ageing to enable effective planning of programs. age related health conditions to enable appropriate selection and modification of exercises. principles of exercise program design to enable development of a program for a specific condition or multiple conditions. relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures to enable safe and appropriate conduct of exercise for older clients. |
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package. | |
Overview of assessment | |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | Evidence of the following is essential: communicates effectively with accredited exercise physiologist or relevant medical or allied health professional regarding relevant health and functional status of the referred client effective communication skills to discuss aspects of exercise prescription with clients when appropriate, react to adverse events to deal with exercise program problems and issues ability to correctly interpret the exercise prescription and make modifications consistent with prescribed parameters and scope of practice safely and effectively delivers exercise for older clients with chronic conditions and recommends appropriate alterations according to client's physical and motivational responses monitors and maintains the safety of clients, exercise equipment and the exercise setting and applies effective contingency management techniques to deal with problems and issues that may arise during the exercise program applies all relevant legal and ethical requirements when discussing and recording client information demonstrates appropriate manner, empathy and patience when working with older clients develops a variety of sessions for physical activity classes for a range of client groups of older clients with chronic conditions modifies individual exercises to accommodate the specific needs of the client evaluates exercise sessions and modifies exercise plans according to feedback received from clients and own evaluation. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment must ensure training of multiple exercise sessions that are of sufficient duration and breadth to allow the demonstration of competency and consistency of performance Assessment must also ensure access to: a facility or venue where a variety of exercise modes and equipment are available, such as a weights gym, pool, exercise room and open air a range of real or simulated medical or allied health professional referrals for a range of older clients with chronic conditions relevant documentation such as client record forms a range of participant groups composed of older adults with a variety of chronic conditions. |
Method of assessment | A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: observation of instructing and monitoring exercise classes for older clients with unstable conditions oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of ageing process, specific medical conditions and how these relate to effective exercise planning portfolio of plans for physical activity programs for older clients with different unstable conditions third-party reports from a supervisor detailing work performance. |
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included. | |
Medical or allied health professional may include: | sports physician sports doctor general practitioner physiotherapist accredited exercise physiologist occupational therapist remedial massage therapist chiropractor osteopath accredited practising dietician psychologist aboriginal health worker diabetes educator. |
Chronic conditions may include: | asthma autoimmune diseases cancer cardiovascular diseases chronic fatigue chronic obstructive pulmonary disease diabetes hepatitis osteoarthritis osteoporisis renal failure rheumatoid arthritis. |
Relevant legislation may include: | Occupational Health and Safety duty of care privacy codes of practice fair trading. |
Organisational policies and procedures may include: | Occupational Health and Safety emergency procedures risk management use of client record systems collection and use of client information equipment use and maintenance client supervision incident reporting client screening procedures client referral procedures. |
Risk factors may include: | family history obesity joint trauma and injury menopause in females repetitive occupational use physical inactivity eating disorders low body weight and calcium intake smoking. |
Client needs may include: | consideration of adaptations of older clients methods of instruction time delivery to achieve outcomes changes to environment and or spaces adaptation and modification of equipment. |
Cardiorespiratory conditioning may include: | Choice of exercises and location: appropriate to condition and health needs emphasis on functional capacity and activities of daily living such as mobility gait, coordination, balance limitations low initial fitness level, easily fatigued inefficient movement possible cognitive impairment integration with muscular training: prior improvement in strength, balance and range of motion use of exercise machines and circuit training low fitness level and need for gradual progression. |
Muscular conditioning may include: | muscular endurance muscular strength muscular power. |
Instructional techniques may include: | transitions between exercises or games class structure variations communication skills verbal and visual instructions relevant to client conditions technique correction. |
Exercise programs may include: | cardiovascular strength training flexibility agility balance posture and core stability fundamental movement skills aquatic exercise. |
Modifications may include: | accommodations for the physical changes and unstable health conditions accommodations for the social and psychological changes that occur with ageing |
Older clients may include: | adults 50 years and over with: one chronic condition multiple conditions |
Exercise equipment may include: | treadmill cycle ergometers rowing machine dumbbells and strength training equipment small equipment chairs balance equipment interactive equipment circuit-based equipment aquatic. |
Symptoms requiring interjection may include: | shortness of breath at rest or with mild exertion dizziness or syncope orthopnea or paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea palpitations or tachycardia intermittent claudication unusual fatigue or shortness of breath with usual activities illness or sickness lack of functional strength neck soreness or strain pain on movement of any body part. |
Procedures to respond to signs and symptoms requiring intervention may include: | cessation of activity first aid emergency medical assistance referral. |
Unstable condition may include: | musculoskeletal sensory impairment dementia metabolic conditions physical disabilities neurological disorders joint replacement claudication angina stroke COPD and or COAD. |
Lifestyle modifications may include: | moderation of alcohol consumption cessation of smoking increased incidental activity stress reduction provision of health eating guidelines provision of healthier choices. |
Fitness
This unit contains employability skills.
No licensing, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.