Love to move: Enjoying company and activities

A seated gymnastics programme is helping people affected by dementia to maintain their thinking skills and physical co-ordination in a fun, active way.

Love to Move, developed by the British Gymnastics Foundation and funded by Sport England, offers specialist classes within the community and at care homes, tailored to those taking part. This includes people with dementia and people with Parkinson’s.

‘My mum has advanced dementia and I’ve felt quite abandoned, so my main aim is to connect with everybody in the class,’ says Kim Hall, Lead Programme Coach. ‘In the later stages, to get someone to notice you and smile – that to me is important.’

At today’s session, Kim and her friendly team of volunteers greet people with dementia and carers at Crossways Christian Centre in St Ives, Cambridgeshire. 

After some relaxed reminiscence, facilitated by the local Norris Museum, everyone sits in a large circle ready for the main event.
 

Powerful session

The atmosphere is warm and sociable as Kim leads the group through a series of exercises, all set to music. They include drawing letters of the alphabet in the air with a finger and calling out Christmas-themed words that begin with each one.

Kim has everyone clapping their thighs and shoulders to a particular pattern, or moving their arms in time with the music, with some participants using additional weights.

‘People are improving their ability to co-ordinate and we are enabling them to maintain skills,’ says Kim.

A co-ordination challenge sees the class attempt to draw a circle with one hand and a straight line with the other, with volunteers ready to assist anyone who needs a bit of help.

Chairs are turned side-on as people pair up to play ‘one potato, two potato’ before the main circle is formed again for a run-through of the hokey cokey. The session is brought to a close with a smiling rendition of We wish you a Merry Christmas.

‘People are improving their ability to co-ordinate and we are enabling them to maintain skills,’ says Kim.

‘People with dementia can be isolated, losing confidence and self-esteem. Working in a group with other people makes it a powerful session in that way.’

Brighter and sharper

Margaret Ditchfield, 89 and living with Alzheimer’s, has been attending for around two years.

‘I do it for myself and my body, and I like the people,’ she says. ‘I’m always curious – I wouldn’t say, “I’m not going to do that.”’

Her husband Derek, 89, enjoys the social side and has benefitted from chatting to other carers.

‘You pool your knowledge of how to deal with the situation,’ he says.

The couple’s daughter, Janet Reindorf, says her parents seem ‘brighter, sharper and uplifted’ after attending the group.

‘It stimulates me because I’ve done something,’ says George.

Another attendee, 82-year old George Burch, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s eight years ago.

‘It helps me keep going. It stimulates me because I’ve done something,’ he says. ‘Otherwise I’d sit at home not knowing what to do.’

His wife Beryl, 79, recommends the session to others.

‘It keeps you moving your joints, and using your mind, which is good because as you get older you don’t do what you don’t have to,’ she says.

Nobody judging

Maria, 65, attends the group with her 91-year old husband Terry, who was diagnosed with vascular dementia in September 2015. They previously tried a different class, not tailored to people with dementia, which Terry found stressful.

‘You feel like the group understands where you are. Nobody is judging you,’ says Maria.

‘In other groups you don’t always feel like an individual, but Kim has got the understanding and the personality. Terry has got used to her and feels very secure,’ says Maria. ‘You also feel like the group understands where you are. Nobody is judging you.’

Terry adds, ‘The others are all very friendly, we all seem to get along very well. It’s not at all frightening.’

Session volunteer Doreen Armstrong has been with the class since it started.

‘I just think it’s a really worthwhile thing,’ she says. ‘People affected by dementia can be the forgotten ones who don’t always get a lot of support.’

Real success

Love to Move has been a catalyst for St Ives becoming more dementia friendly, explains retired GP George Smerdon. He is part of the St Ives Dementia Friendly Community Steering Group, set up by former mayor Ian Jackson.

‘Ian saw the value of Love to Move and the Singing Café that’s also held here, and our work grew from that,’ he says. ‘No one has been resistant to the idea we should do more for people with dementia in the community – it’s been one of those real successes.’

Love to Move is expanding and the British Gymnastics Foundation hopes for it to be available in every county of England by 2021. 

Patrick Bonner, head of the organisation, says, ‘When people want to train their brains they think of sudoku, but when people want physical brain training, our ambition is that they think of Love to Move.’