News — A study by a team of University of West Florida researchers, conducted with Council on Aging of West Florida’s adult day care, The Retreat, uncovered insights into the positive impact of dance on individuals living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
The study concluded that 12 weeks of adapted dance is feasible and enjoyable for persons living with ADRD, promoting beneficial physical activity and improving quality of life. Researchers recommended clinicians treating such individuals should consider adapted dance as part of an exercise prescription.
Lead researcher Dr. Crystal Bennett worked with UWF faculty Dr. Rodney Guttmann and Dr. Raid Amin, as well as Emory University’s Dr. Madeleine Hackney, and UWF Athletic Training student Savannah Weaver to assess the impacts of 12 weeks of adapted dancing on agitation, balance, gait, lower extremity strength and caregiver burden. Bennett received the Florida Department of Health Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer’s Disease Grant for the study while she was serving as director of UWF’s School of Nursing.
The project began in 2019 at a Northwest Florida assisted living facility and then moved to The Retreat in late 2021. The Retreat is a licensed adult day care program for individuals with physical or cognitive impairments. In this study, 16 otherwise physically healthy older adults with dementia ranging in age from 69-97 performed modified line dancing for 60 minutes twice a week.
“I am grateful to the Council on Aging, The Retreat staff and The Retreat attendees and their families for their willingness to participate in this project,” said Bennett, who now serves as dean of the College of Health Professions and associate professor of nursing for the University of Montevallo in Alabama.
Bennett’s own mother had dementia, and she said was motivated to study the effects of dance after witnessing firsthand how music improved her mom’s mood. She hypothesized that dance will not only improve the emotional state of those living with ADRD and help trigger positive memories, but that it will also improve physical function.
“I was fortunate to witness the dancing intervention multiple times in person, and the activity was so well-run and fun that I could see morale, comprehension and physical ability among the participants improve in real time,” said Council on Aging President/CEO Josh Newby. “So much of the dementia journey is difficult or hard to understand, but dance and music are such instinctual aspects of the human experience that any client or caregiver can see immediate and tangible benefits. We’re so thankful to UWF for introducing this study to our adult day care.”
Researchers recommended that people with ADRD dance in a community setting or at home using online resources. The conclusion emphasized the importance of incorporating “joyful moments in the daily lives of people with ADRD” as a way to improve quality of life for both the individual and their caregiver.
“This study highlights how movement-based interventions, like adapted dance, can be a meaningful way to improve both physical and emotional well-being for individuals with dementia,” Guttmann said. “It’s exciting to see such a simple activity provide tangible benefits for both participants and caregivers.”
According to the study, future research can build upon these findings by increasing the frequency of the dance sessions per week and ensuring adequate sample size to assess the impacts of the intervention.
For more information about UWF, visit . For more information on the Council on Aging of West Florida, visit .
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