Senior Dance: A Resource in Occupational Therapy Intervention with Healthy Elderly

Abstract

By means of a case report and survey of the literature, this study intended to introduce the Senior Dance (SD) as a resource in occupational therapy interventions for health promotion with the elderly. SD is a group activity, that involves music and physical activity, working the body through creative choreographies with instrumental music and rhythmic movements. Its objective is cognitive, sensory and motor stimulation, favoring self-esteem and group integration. The SD sessions were carried out once a week with elderly participants in a community project of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, entitled: “It is worth living”. After one year, the participants were requested to provide information about their perceptions of participation in this activity. A Medline search was also performed with the objective of linking the findings of the literature with the analysis of these cases. The benefits of employing the SD were observed as a therapeutic resource to promote physical activity, leisure, and cognitive stimulation, as well as the development of motor coordination, self-esteem and socialization. The gains obtained with the continuous employment of the SD in the physical, cognitive, and social spheres may have contributed to the promotion of the perceptions of the quality of life of the participants, suggesting that SD could be used to facilitate socialization, body image and stimulate creativity, memory and motor coordination. Keywords: Senior dance, health promotion, elderly