The OAP Dance Project
Share:
It is a well-known fact that as you grow older, you are more prone to falls than ever before. That’s why local projects like Falling on your Feet are becoming more popular and getting more recognition.
The Newcastle-based Helix Art project helps to maintain balance in those over the age of sixty-five in order to reduce their risk of falls. As well as this, Falling on your Feet helps to bring a social element to the lives of the elderly and can therefore have a huge impact on their mental well-being too.
Around one in three over sixty-fives who live at home will have at least one fall a year, with around half having more frequent falls due to the natural ageing process. Falls can also be more dangerous for people of that age group with bones more likely to be broken and painful bruises forming easily.
Moreover, almost four million over sixty-fives in the UK are living alone and don’t have conversations for weeks on end, causing them to feel isolated in their later years. Falling on your Feet organiser, Cheryl Gavin, explained how the project “can give that feeling of being together and part of something, and meeting new people at that age can be really exciting.”
Projects like Falling on your Feet are clearly a great addition to our society, encouraging the older generation to meet with each other, dance and socialise, all while benefiting their physical and mental health without even realising.