Stepping towards better health: Early Mobility team wins Nova Scotia Health Quality Award

Walking may seem like a small step, but for many patients, it's a giant leap toward recovery and independence. With the support of Early Mobility teams, older adults in hospitals across the province are staying active and reducing their risk of physical decline.  

The Early Mobility Program, sponsored by Nova Scotia Health’s Frailty and Elder Care Network, recently earned a 2025 Nova Scotia Health Quality Award for excellence in patient safety.  

Mobility teams work seven days a week, ensuring at-risk patients stay mobile. Within three days of admission, patients 65-and-over are assessed for risk using the Clinical Frailty Scale, which was developed by Dr. Kenneth Rockwood, QEII Health Sciences Centre internist-geriatrician, clinical scientist and medical director for the Frailty and Elder Care Network. Once assessed, the team provides personalized support; walking with patients multiple times a day.  

Through the Early Mobility Program, older adults living with frailty are supported to maintain their mobility, improve their confidence, recover faster and return home sooner. Since fall 2023, more than 7,688 acute-care patients have been referred to the program with most patients returning to the place they call home. “It's more than just getting people up and walking,” says physiotherapy assistant (PA) Maegen Leonard, a member of the Early Mobility team at Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre in Amherst. “Being in a hospital can be tough; people are away from their routines, families and comforts. Our job isn’t just about movement, it's about improving their care experience.”

Beyond physical health, the program offers emotional benefits. “We become a familiar face,” says PA Taylor White. “Seeing someone daily gives them someone to talk to and lets them feel like they have an ally in their care.”

Mobility assistants build strong connections with patients, helping them regain a sense of control. “Some people prefer specific times for walks,” says Maegen. Movement, she adds, keeps patients engaged. “Seeing someone laugh in a hospital—really belly laugh—makes a difference. You wonder, when was the last time they got to do that?”  

Navneet Kaur, recreation associate with the team, emphasizes the program’s social benefits. “I ask patients what they enjoy: Do they like painting? Would they like their nails done? This program isn’t just about movement, it’s about connection.”

The Early Mobility Program also reduces long-term care admissions by supporting patients to return home. PA Parker Vandewiel recalls a patient who was expected to enter long-term care. “They didn’t want to move at first,” Parker says, “but we worked together every day (and), eventually, they started walking further and doing puzzles. In the end, they didn’t need long-term care and returned home. That was incredible to see.”

The program’s impact continues after discharge, says Taylor. “Patients tell us they kept walking at home because of this program (and) that’s the best outcome we can hope for. It helps you be grateful for the health of your family and yourself. It's hard to have a bad day, I am grateful I get to go home every day and that's what people are working toward.”

Maegen says her professional role reaps many rewards, such as supporting nurses and being part of an interdisciplinary team. “We see the difference we make.”

Congratulations to the Frailty and Elder Care Network and the Early Mobility teams across the province on this well-earned recognition. Their passion and dedication help patients take the steps they need, one walk at a time.

For more information, visit: https://www.nshealth.ca/clinics-programs-and-services/early-mobility-program.

Photo of the Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre’s Early Mobility team, from left: Taylor White, Navneet Kaur, Maegen Leonard and Parker Vandewiel. Not pictured: Courtney Bowdige.