Meaningful and enjoyable activities help people to live well with dementia. Whilst they don’t necessarily slow the progression of dementia, they do improve your loved one’s quality of life – and encourage a ‘closeness’ and emotional connection between you. What is more, relatively short periods of shared activity and social interaction help to improve behavioural symptoms, and lessen agitation.
According to recent research more than two-thirds of people with dementia have stopped doing the things they used to due to a lack of confidence. As well as activities at the Memory Café, we organise trips out – usually with a reminiscence theme. This enables people living with dementia to visit places they could never go to on their own, and reap the benefits of reminiscing and remembering.
In the words of one of our carers, “My husband Ken has Alzheimer’s, and the opportunities presented through the visits and reminiscence sessions have been fantastic for us both. When sufferers are unable to remember even the most recent event, it is uplifting and joyful to see their eyes light up as something from the past falls into place.”
