88-year-old Michael Walsh, who lives at Larkhill Hall care home in West Derby, put on his dancing shoes when the care home staff surprised him with a trip to a local sequence dancing class.
Born in Liverpool, Michael married his wife, Catherine, in 1958 and had three children, before retiring at the age of 50. After Catherine sadly passed away 17 years ago, Michael found comfort in his hobbies, which included regular visits to his local Irish Centre, where he fell in love with sequence dancing.
Unfortunately, during the pandemic, Michael could no longer attend his dance classes and hadn’t returned to his hobby since.
Earlier this year, Michael decided to move into Larkhill Hall for a sense of community and loved the active lifestyle in the home.
When the care team at Larkhill Hall spoke to Michael about his love of sequence dancing, they contacted their local Irish Centre to find out when they’re next dance class was.
The following Tuesday, accompanied by a member of the care team, Michael paid a visit to the Liverpool Irish Centre where he had ‘the most amazing afternoon’ dancing and making new friends. Michael said,
‘It was a fantastic day! As I was dancing, my memories of the sequences just came back to me like I’d never stopped. I hope we can make it a regular trip.’
Since then, Michael has been a regular at the Irish Centre, recently attending a Tea Dance with the local community.
Michelle Lightfoot, the Home Manager at Larkhill Hall, said, ‘We always encourage our residents to stay active, take on hobbies and try new things, so when Michael told us he missed dancing, we couldn’t wait to help him get back on the dancefloor
‘It’s been great to see Michael dancing again, and we can’t wait to take him to the next session.’
Larkhill Hall is a luxury residential and dementia care home operated by Ideal Carehomes. With 66 en-suite bedrooms, attractive décor and beautiful landscaped gardens, Larkhill Hall is proud to offer person-centred care in a dignified manner.
For more information, call 0151 226 0118, email larkhill.hall@idealcarehomes.co.uk or visit www.idealcarehomes.co.uk.