Community programme gets seniors to dance their way to better health

Inter-generational initiative aims to boost physical health, cognition and well-being

- Chin Soo Fang Senior Correspondent

Retired precision machinist Rubiah Rahim joined a new inter-generational community dance programme at Lions Befrienders six weeks ago.

Since then, the pain in her left leg that she suffers as a result of sciatica has reduced, said the 69-year-old who enjoys dancing.

"The best part is we get to add in our own dance steps," she added.

The inter-generational community dance programme is a structured 12-week initiative for pre-frail and mildly frail older adults. It combines movement, rhythm and storytelling to improve physical health, stimulate cognition and foster emotional well-being.

It is jointly run by the Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Lions Befrienders, and co-designed with geriatric and exercise experts, dance professionals, student instructors, seniors and active ageing centre (AAC) staff.

Currently running at four centres, the programme will be rolled out at 10 Lions Befrienders AACs from 2025 to 2027. It is expected to benefit more than 280 seniors, in line with Healthier SG and Age Well SG, which prioritises preventive, community-based care.

The NUS Nursing and Medicine team plans to extend the programme islandwide to the more than 200 AACs, as well as develop digital training modules to complement in-person sessions and enable wider adoption by community partners.

"The long-term vision is to integrate community dance into Singapore's fall-prevention and ageing strategies, making dance-based interventions accessible to seniors nationwide," said NUS Nursing Assistant Professor Vivien Wu, who is the programme's principal investigator.

Dr Wu said mild cognitive impairment (MCI) affects up to 20 per cent of older adults worldwide. If left untreated, nearly 40 per cent of those with MCI may progress to dementia.