Reflections on community, care, and the power of presence in long-term care homes
Fiona Williams didn’t expect a speaker and a chair to become tools of healing. But in the quiet corners of long-term care homes on Vancouver Island, she found that movement — even small, seated gestures — can stir memory, connection, and joy.
Fiona is a student at the University of Victoria and has worked as a renal dialysis technician. Her work often unfolds in highly clinical settings, but outside of her hospital shifts, she leads a small initiative called Vancouver Island Dance Medicine. In this space, she brings seated dance sessions to seniors, many of whom live with dementia, mobility challenges, or cognitive decline.
What began as an experiment in community engagement quickly revealed something deeper. “I have watched residents who barely speak start tapping their feet in time when a familiar swing tune begins to play,” she reflects. “These small gestures are powerful: they say I am here. I remember this.”
The physical benefits of seated movement — improved circulation, range of motion, and gentle cardiovascular activity — are well documented. But Fiona’s reflections show that the emotional and social impact often outweigh the physical. Many participants regain a sense of agency and dignity, however briefly, through shared rhythm and laughter.
One resident once told her, “I never thought I would dance again — not as an old man.”
In her sessions, Fiona collaborates with long-term care staff and family members to co-create themed experiences, from Zumba-inspired routines to calming yoga flows. For Fiona, this work has reshaped how she thinks about medicine and wellness.
“Healing doesn’t always look clinical,” she writes. “Sometimes it looks like laughter after a clumsy kick-ball change. Sometimes it’s the silence that follows a deep breath in sync with someone else’s.”
As she prepares to apply to medical school, Fiona hopes to carry these lessons forward. Her goal is to help integrate movement-based and artistic practices into health care settings, bridging the gap between clinical care and human connection. Until then, she continues to show up with a speaker, a chair, and an open heart in hand, dancing toward a future where care feels a little more like community.