Senior Living Program
Empowering senior living residents with Parkinson’s through symptom-focused mind-body exercise.
PFP’s Senior Living Program is a fun and engaging seated exercise solution for senior living communities. Research has shown that exercise is critical for managing Parkinson’s. Our research-backed fitness classes are the perfect way to support residents with Parkinson’s, as well as any residents dealing with mobility issues or cognitive challenges. Add Power for Parkinson’s to your roster of activities today to empower your residents to live well and delay the progression of symptoms.
This program includes:
A virtual library of symptom-focused exercise classes designed specifically for senior and assisted living residents with Parkinson’s disease (PD).
A virtual orientation video with our expert team to train your staff about Parkinson’s Disease and how to safely and effectively implement exercise classes for this population.
Access to bi-monthly office hours during the first six months with our experts to provide additional staff training, answer your questions and adapt the program to your needs.
The exclusive opportunity to be listed as a Senior Living Host Site on our resource page. *By invitation only, additional fees required.
Why we created this program
Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurodegenerative disease with 90 thousand new cases per year.
Exercise is an essential part of managing PD. We’ve provided free exercise classes for people with PD since 2013, and have seen firsthand how transformative our classes can be. People with PD often decline in senior living environments because they cannot access symptom-focused workouts. We aim to help this population maintain their quality of life by providing accessible and effective exercise options through our Senior Living Program.
Additionally, our core Power for Parkinson’s classes can sometimes be too long, complex and intense for senior living residents. Our senior living program provides workouts that are catered to the specific needs of senior and assisted living residents.
Why is exercise SO important for people with Parkinson’s?
Exercise is prescribed to people with Parkinson’s as part of their treatment plan. Exercise has neuroprotective effects that can slow down the progression of PD and may reverse the neurodegeneration associated with Parkinson’s. Exercise has also been shown to improve cognitive function, speed, balance, and gait. It also improves common non-motor symptoms of PD, such as anxiety, apathy, and depression.
How our classes target the needs of senior and assisted living residents
All classes include exercises to improve cognition.
All classes include ample explanation of how to perform exercises and why we are performing them, without interfering with the pace of the class.
Classes are an appropriate length and intensity for senior living residents.
Classes are fun, varied, and use a variety of teaching styles and props to keep residents engaged.
Classes use props and tools that are typically accessible in senior living environments.
Classes are conducted seated and easily modifiable for various abilities.
The senior living program provides staff training and problem solving to ensure that classes can be effectively taught in any senior or assisted living community.
Meet Lead Senior Living Instructor Nancy Bain
Nancy Bain has taught fitness and dance for Power for Parkinson’s for 12 years since its inception. Previously, she taught Silver Sneakers, fitness for older adults, and dance for older adults at Atria at the Arboretum and The Village at the Triangle, as well as at Twin Lakes YMCA. She was also an Instructor Coordinator for Silver Sneakers for the Central Texas area for 2 years, evaluating and mentoring other instructors and teaching master classes.
Nancy also has extensive teaching experience in public and private schools, community centers and higher education. She was an Adjunct Lecturer in dance for Queensborough Community College, NY and for University of Texas at Austin. Additionally, she was a Field Supervisor for student teachers in the UTeach program at UT Austin for a year. She was a facilitator and dance teacher mentor for Austin ISD and the Creative Learning Initiative. Nancy was a professional dancer and choreographer in New York City as well as in Austin. She received certification for National Older Adult Exercise, NETA Group Exercise, Silver Sneakers and Arthritis Foundation Aquatic Exercise. She holds an M.A. in Dance Performance/Dance Education from NYU and received a New York City teacher’s license and New York State provisional teacher certification.
