Mindful dancing

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Published on Monday, September 17, 2018

Dementia research program launches in rural communities

By Cassandra Wehrhahn

Neepawa Banner & Press

On Wednesday, Sept. 12, the Brandon University and Trent University launched a research program centred on people living with dementia in rural communities.

The program, “Baycrest and Canada’s National Ballet School Sharing Dance Seniors”, is a joint venture dance class with Baycrest and Canada’s National Ballet School which is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Alzheimer’s society of Canada. It will be running weekly, for eight weeks, at Country Meadows Personal Care Home, Neepawa; Minnedosa 50+ Activity Centre; Prairie Oasis, Brandon; and Brandon’s Alzheimer’s Society Office. The participating locations are providing the space and staff support that will be needed for the activity.

For those who may not know, Baycrest is a leading research centre focussed on aging and health, where Canada’s National Ballet School is a more elite dance school that also has programs geared toward the public and broader education. This includes programs for seniors and youth to get involved in dance and its benefits, both as a cultural activity and as something that can improve health and wellbeing.

The Banner & Press spoke to Canada Research Chair and Assistant Professor [in the Department of Geography] Rachel Herron, of Brandon University, for more insight.

“We’re hoping to learn how we can make better, more accessible programs for people living with dementia, specifically in rural areas where there may be few resources, both human and physical,” stated Herron. “Can we deliver programs through novel technologies?”

In this case, the research group is video streaming the dance program, which is being instructed from Toronto through Canada’s National Ballet School. The instructors will get feedback every week from the local facilitators who are present in the room, who maybe doesn’t have the training or expertise to teach the class, to help the group and instructors know the people who are involved in the program and create a program that is still responsive to local needs and the individuals in the room. As Herron put it, the group is “really hoping to learn best practices of how to create better programs and environments for people living with dementia in rural areas.”

Herron explained that people living with dementia, as well as their caregivers who she invited to join the program as well, often experience isolation and exclusion because of the disease process. Part of this, she said, is related to stigma and the fear that people living with dementia might have in the early stages about making a mistake or being perceived as less capable or stupid, which is certainly not the case.

“But that stigma exists so people will sometimes isolate themselves, and programs often aren’t developed to think of their different capacities,” said Herron. “So there’s a real need for programming that is inclusive of people with dementia, because we know that isolation and exclusion will create worse health for these individuals. If they are to live well in the community, they need a broader range of programs.”

People living with dementia, of which Herron has talked to throughout her career, want to do something but often feel or see barriers to get there such as having lost a driver’s license and being unable to drive themselves to the available program, or they hold a perception that they cannot do something when that simply isn’t true.

“It can be adaptive,” stated Herron. “and for the early stages of dementia many of us wouldn’t even recognize that that person even has a condition like that.”

Herron emphasized the collaborative nature of the project, stating that what is making the research and community programming work is the willingness to work together both as researchers and community partners.

“Each person/group has different expertise,” Herron stressed. “And we can only really come up with innovative solutions if we are willing to work together with a lot of different groups.”

The research chair extended her thanks to the groups, communities, and the wonderful hosts involved. The program is being planned to run again in the sometime in the Spring after the research group has had sufficient time to learn from what did and didn’t work, so the information can be incorporated into the program’s development.