Exercise for older adults

Winifred Beevers has many years’ experience in music therapy with older adults across the full spectrum of client groups. Her first position was in a specialist aged care residence for people with significant mental health concerns where she fell in love with the client group and has specialised in aged care ever since. Winifred’s expertise includes all forms of cognition loss and dementia, neurological disorders, palliative care, and mental health.

Winifred has worked in acute and sub-acute hospitals, residential aged care, aged mental health, community day centres, and in rehabilitation. It was her work in the Geriatric Rehabilitation and Management (GEM) unit that sparked her interest in using music to support and aid exercise in older adults.  This led to Winifred completing a Master of Applied Science which looked at the music that was used in an exercise intervention for people with Parkinson’s Disease http://hdl.handle.net/1959.9/562730.  

Winifred’s first instrument was the piano (it will always be her favourite) though she is now also a fan of carbon-fibre ukuleles. Winifred also plays the flute, guitar and, on special occasions, the piano accordion. Her next life goal is to learn the bagpipes.