Miriam Zweig, 90, a resident at The Forest at Duke Health and Wellness Center in Durham, N.C., heads to a weekly social hour Jan. 4, 2008 before going to have her nails done. The facility encourages residents not to stay in the same seat all day and to be active in their community.

RALEIGH, N.C. — It's a common sight in many long-term care centers — residents in wheelchairs lining hallways, just sitting or rolling slowly down the hall.

But older people's health, mobility and self-image can suffer from too much time in wheelchairs, say some who study geriatric issues.

More than 24,000 North Carolina nursing home residents — about two-thirds of the total population — use wheelchairs as their main means of getting around, according to the most recent federal statistics. And that number has risen steadily in the 2000s, as sicker patients have entered nursing homes.

If older people need wheelchairs to move around or be moved, that's fine, but it's past time to cut back on "parking" older people in wheelchairs, said Leslie Jarema, health service director of The Forest at Duke.

Ways to limit unnecessary wheelchair use are part of a movement that gives priority to the well-being of residents above the convenience of the staff.

"It's not good for anyone to sit anywhere, in anything, for long periods of time," said Nancy Fox, executive director of the Eden Alternative, a Texas-based nonprofit group that promotes the well-being of elders and their caregivers.

Raleigh, N.C., resident Sylvia Weaver, a member of Wake County, N.C.'s nursing home advisory committee, puts her feelings about wheelchairs even more plainly:

"You go sit in one!" Weaver said. "See if you can sit for 15 minutes."

Advocates and academics say the downsides to spending too much time in a wheelchair are varied, but specific. They include a greater chance of pressure sores, significant discomfort and physical strain from operating chairs.

In addition, people in wheelchairs can be perceived as less able and are even spoken to differently. Loss of mobility can begin within a few days.

"It's just like with your education; if you don't use it, you lose it," said Michael A. Boles Jr., director of adult day services for Wake County's Resources for Seniors. "Our people are not parked in wheelchairs. Our participants who are in wheelchairs, it's necessary for their mobility."

"They are not going to improve, but we can at least keep things from deteriorating as quickly." he said.