Learning new moves for health

Team members from across our service lines got their groove on at a recent workshop at Galleon Gardens on the Gold Coast, learning how to safely facilitate dance classes for residents and clients.

Run by an experienced dance teacher, the workshop included a range of participants, from physios and lifestyle coordinators to personal care workers and students, who were all keen to learn how to assist residents and clients to participate in seated dance classes.

The classes are designed by Dance for Parkinson’s, an international organisation that provides accessible dance classes for older adults, including those with Parkinson’s Disease and dementia.

Research Fellow Xanthe Golenko said the classes allow participants to express themselves creatively while also delivering physical, cognitive and social benefits.

“Dance for Parkinson’s classes are always conducted in a circle, promoting a sense of belonging among participants who are all doing the activity together,” she explained.

“There are the cognitive benefits of learning and remembering steps and routines, and the reminiscence benefit of dancing to music they may have danced to in their younger years.”

Xanthe said the classes are designed to be inclusive, allowing people of all abilities to safely participate.

“Participants receive one-on-one assistance and can remain seated or gradually work their way up to standing with lots of grounding activities,” she explained.

The workshop was part of the Research Institute’s ‘Dancing through life’ program, which is running a pilot program for residents in our homes and retirement villages at Darlington, Galleon Gardens and Winders communities. The program is supported by funding from Dance for Parkinson’s Australia and an Aged Persons Welfare Foundation Grant.

Winders Lodge Personal Care Worker Roisin Davoren attended the workshop and said the dance classes were the perfect addition to the activities calendar.

“Even for those with limited mobility, the atmosphere of being together with other people, enjoying music, exercising, and getting to express yourself and let go a little bit is something I really believe will bring a lot of joy to residents,” she said.

Visit danceforparkinsonsaustralia.org or contact Xanthe Golenko to find out more.

Featured images: Team members attending a Dance for Parkinson’s workshop at Galleon Gardens.