Dance to Health

Dance To Health has helped hundreds of older people remain active and independent across the country. Find out more about how Dance to Health was used to help hundreds of older people in Norfolk to improve their health, have fun, and socialise.

• Falls represent the most frequent and serious type of accident in people aged 65 and over
• 1 in 3 people aged 65+ falls each year in the UK.
• 10% of ambulance calls are because of older people’s falls.
• After a fall, an older person is 50% more likely to have seriously impaired mobility, and 10% will die within a year.
• Falls destroy confidence, increase isolation, and reduce independence
• Falls cost the NHS £2.3 billion per year
• Every extra £1 spent on falls and bone health ear­ly intervention services would reduce NHS costs by £2.50.

We were part of a Falls Prevention Steering Group that was created to identify priority areas for preventive work, which included physical activity. We were asked to lead the Physical Activity Falls Prevention Sub Group, acknowledging the importance of physical activity in preventing falls.

Impact of Dance to Health

Participant feedback has been overwhelmingly positive about the sessions:

• Participants from a number of groups identified the social element of the sessions as a key factor in their repeat attendance.
• Certain members of the group reported on their own loneliness and how Dance to Health had given them somewhere to meet new people, per-haps in a similar situation, and develop personal relationships.
• Participants reported on increased confidence in their movements and independence, which they attributed to the effects of the Dance to Health programme.

• While some participants reported they preferred the dance elements of the programme to the physiotherapy elements, the group recognised the importance of the combination of both in improving their physical health and independence.
• When asked about how the programme had helped participants deal with existing pain, some reported an initial increase in pain in some ar-eas of their body due to unfamiliar movements. However the majority of participants identified a reduction in pain as a positive aspect of the Dance to Health Programme.

Participant profile

Pauline, Norwich

Pauline is a retired music teacher, was a regular dog walker and has done a lot of dancing in the past. Pauline joined Dance to
Health because of issues with her upper body. Pauline has arthritis in her back and had a frozen shoulder. She began to feel
the benefits quite early on and quickly saw improvements. Now she finds that her daily activities are much easier, including
carrying bags of shopping, and she can still do some gardening.

Pauline was concerned that Dance to Health would worsen her arthritis but she hasn’t felt any adverse effects. In fact she
never has any problems with her back when doing the exercises. She does Dance to Health homework exercises every
morning. These make a huge difference to her movement, she generally can’t move too well until she’s done them. She feels
so much better now and can do much more.

When I started with Dance to Health…my upper body wasn’t so good. At one time I couldn’t een lift a cup of tea with my right arm. Now I can lift the teapot to pour the tea out. I can also reach around my back to fasten my bra, which I couldn’t do. It’s all due to the exercise I do now. The best part I think is the social outcome. This group is so friendly, we are so happy and look forward to meeting each week

Pauline