We all know by now that dance and movement gives care home residents a chance to express themselves in a joyful, creative and physical way. In turn improves mood and is fantastic for physical wellbeing and can strengthen the bond of trust between staff and residents.

Dancemind offers dance and movement in residential long-term care, improving health and function, enhancing social inclusion by supporting embodied self-expression, creativity, and social engagement of persons living with dementia and/or being in care. I (Tina), have been offering classes in these settings for at least 15 years now, and it never gets boring or cease to surprise me the positive impact it plays in supporting those in care to live a more active and meaningful life during the later years.

We see playfulness and sociability as key themes coming from the work. Playfulness refers to the way the participants let go of what is “real” and become immersed in the narrative of a dance. Sociability captures how the narrative approach of the sharing encourages connectivity between participants and their community. This work has the potential to challenge the stigma associated with dementia and the ailments that come with older age, supporting social inclusion while having a lot of fun doing so.

Have you thought about integrating dance and movement into the care of your residents/service users? It really is worth a ponder and incredibly accessible for all, the work can be seated or standing or even both.

Please reach out of you’d like further information.

Bye for now

Tina