Over the past months, COVID-19 has presented many challenges for society. For many of us, our way of life has been substantially changed because of the pandemic. For people with dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease, changes have been even more severe because their major support networks - their caretakers and relatives - have less contact for fear of spreading the disease. Additionally, many seniors with dementia are immunocompromised and more susceptible to COVID, making visiting them in person harder and more dangerous.
Allison Porter Klinger, one of Together Senior Health’s MOVING Together instructors, says that many of her participants “have missed seeing family in person, as the care facility will not (can not) allow others in.” During these difficult times, Together Senior Health has been offering free online movement classes to reduce isolation and facilitate social connection. These classes, especially with the COVID pandemic happening, have had transformative positive effects on people with dementia. Klinger says that her participants enjoy coming to the class and are thankful for the connections that the class has given them while they can’t directly see their family.
“I’m very happy that [my mom] is moving. I haven’t seen her in 10 days and it looks like she’s made a lot of improvement. I’m proud of her.” - Caregiver in a current class
Before COVID, Together’s classes emphasized “mapping” different parts of the body -- including the face -- through touching, tapping, and rubbing them while naming them. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently advises against this kind of touching so Together’s classes have been modified. In particular, Klinger spends more time implementing hand washing movements; rubbing hands together, between fingers, backs of hands, wrists. This enables participants to develop skills and muscle memory to help control the spread and prevent them from getting it while also actively participating in enjoyable exercise activities.
People with dementia are often misunderstood and isolated in our society, and COVID continues to perpetuate this. Through Together’s online classes, people with dementia are presented with an inclusive environment that improves their capabilities while also providing them with a friend group to reduce their isolation.