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Uniting Dances Away Dementia

on Friday, March 10, 2017

Earlier this week, Uniting residents, clients and staff from services across NSW and ACT put on their dancing shoes and turned up the music to combat dementia. 

This was the fourth annual dance event Uniting has held to raise awareness of dementia and the affect it has on the families, carers and communities of people who are living with this incurable disease. Dance away dementia also encourages people to get active to help prevent dementia in the first place.

Sandra Black of Uniting says: “An estimated one in 10 Australians aged over 65 has dementia. And as our population continues to age, there will be increasing numbers of people living with dementia.”

A recent report commissioned by Alzheimer's Australia shows that dementia is set to cost Australia around $18 billion a year by 2025.  

“For each person living with dementia, at least one person is thrust into the role of carer, often a family member who ends up facing a great deal of stress and anxiety. Today 1.2 million Australians are already touched by dementia,” Ms Black said.

“Experts agree that exercise and movement  including dancing – can help prevent and slow the onset of dementia. We want to encourage people to take action now and dance is a fun way to get active. This is also about raising awareness – with a large, colourful community event that everyone can take part in, we hope to get the message out that dementia isn’t inevitable and people can reduce their chances of being affected by it.”

Uniting provides support for some 2,500 people living with dementia in its aged care homes located across NSW and the ACT.

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