Worcester care home invites community for Tea Dance

A 96-year-old Worcester care home resident is inviting the community to join her on the dancefloor after 21 years.

On Monday 29^th April, from 2:30 to 4:30, the team at Care UK’s Perry Manor, on Charles Hastings Way, is helping to make resident Betty Hann’s dream to dance again come true with the help of local people.

Betty was a keen jive dancer in her younger years and frequently went dancing with her friends. When Betty met her husband, Dennis, on the dancefloor at the Palais Dance Hall in 1948, aged 20, he was jiving in his navy uniform. Betty tapped him on the shoulder and from that moment they knew they would be together. The couple often went to dance halls together on dates. 

Determined to help Betty rekindle her love for dancing, the team at Perry Manor is inviting the community to join Betty for a Tea Dance once again. On the day, there will be tangoing, waltzing, foxtrotting and cha-cha-chaing led by the lifestyle team, as well as refreshments and live entertainment from singer Jack Giblen and saxophonist Carolyn.

Betty said: “I’m looking forward to being on the floor dancing again and meeting likeminded people, because I can’t keep my feet still when music is playing. If you can’t dance, you can shuffle – I will show you how!”

The event is part of the home’s Wishing Tree initiative, which encourages residents to put wishes forward, allowing them to reconnect with a past hobby or try something completely new – from flying a plane to enjoying a fish and chip supper, no wish is too big or small.

Katherine Matthews, Home Manager at Perry Manor, said: “Everyone here at Perry Manor knows how much Betty loved to dance with her friends and husband. When the team learned that Betty thought her dancing days were over, they were determined to prove to her that she could still put her dancing shoes to good use. 

“Our Wishing Tree initiative is a great way for residents to share their dreams and passions, and its incredibly rewarding to be able to make these a reality. I am looking forward to seeing Betty in her element and her talent on the dancefloor. 

“I can’t wait to see some of Worcester’s best moves and for Betty to show the community that you are never too old to dance!”

Perry Manor is a state-of-the-art Care UK home, which provides full time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short term respite care. Rated outstanding by the CQC, the home is designed to enable residents to live enjoyable and fulfilling lives, the care home has its very own cinema, cafe and hair salon, with plenty of space both indoors and out for relaxation and recreation.