Thornliebank senior citizens swap their zimmer frames for dance partners

Elderly residents at Renaissance Care’s Whitecraigs Care Home have been treated to a specialised dance fitness class adapted for people who use zimmer frames and wheelchairs.

The hour-long class was attended by almost 30 residents from 80 to 102 years old, with the aim of stimulating their minds and bodies, promoting exercise and positive interaction across the home.

Home manager Annmarie Porter invited instructor Susan Munro to host the class, after she heard about the new fitness approach for over 60s throughout the local community.

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The session, which proved extremely popular among the residents, evoked memories of their younger days at ‘the dancing’.

Margaret Anderson, 89, who regularly went dancing from the age of 15, said: “I am young at heart and I’m happy, that is what’s important. This has been fantastic, and Susan is so energetic. It’s been a great start to the day.”

Whitecraigs Care Home’s oldest resident Percy Mann, 102, said “I really enjoyed how modern it was with the inclusion of some older dances. I think people would be surprised that we often do things like this living in a care home, but we like to live by the moto ‘you only live once’.”

Aside from residents, staff and family members were invited along to take part in the dance session, which was followed by a relaxing stretch.

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Margaret Meldrum and Annette Hamilton, whose mothers are both residents in the home, agreed it had made an immediate positive impact.

Margaret said, “It’s been brilliant, they were all smiling during the class and were still smiling after it finished. You can see how much it has stimulated them.”

Whitecraigs manager Annmarie Porter said: “It’s been lovely to watch our residents enjoy their morning participating in Susan’s class.

“Our main priority is to ensure residents are given the opportunity to participate in regular activities in and out of the home, and we see a boost in morale whenever residents get involved.

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“Aside from the enjoyment factor, the fitness classes benefit both physical and mental wellbeing.”

Whitecraigs Care Home in Thornliebank offers care tailored to an individual’s requirements. The staff live by the ethos that they work in the residents’ home and aim to offer enriching and engaging experiences which keep them active and motivated.

Dance instructor Susan Munro said: “It‘s such a rewarding experience, I love waking up knowing I’m going to make a difference to people’s days.”