I have been teaching Hand-in-Hand Tai Chi for two groups of Alzheimer's and Dementia patients since May 2009. One group is more advanced than the other. The age range is from 50 to 102 years old. I have been giving them lessons once a week. I am very honored to mention my 102-year-old student Helen Rohde. She is so pleasant and sweet. She feels good during the exercise and says "thank you" each time we finish our work-out. Here is a photo when she was doing Wheelchair-Push-Hands with me.
Hand-in-Hand Tai Chi helps Alzheimer's and Dementia patients with their range of motion, their emotions and tranquility. It also helps them with their overall physical conditions.
During my first class with them, their faces were cold and they were stiff at the beginning. But as I started holding their hands and doing the Tai Chi movements, they relaxed and followed me like a dancing partner. I feel their trust in me, and I can tell their internal good feeling from their smiles. What can be more rewarding than that!
