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How people living with dementia can be supported to age actively and helped to slow the progression of the disease through an active lifestyle.
For people living with dementia, active ageing is important. Through an active lifestyle, those with diagnoses can be helped to slow the progression of the disease. There is a multitude of research which points to the physical and psycho-social benefits of being outdoors for people with dementia. It is beneficial not only for the mitigation of the symptoms and effects of dementia but also for reducing the risk of developing the disease.
In the World Health Organization's guidelines for dementia risk reduction, physical activity has been strongly recommended to adults with normal cognition to reduce their risk of cognitive decline. For people with dementia, being outdoors has shown to increase sleep, diet, and appetite, reduce restlessness, increase verbal expression and show improvements in memory (depending on the stage and progression of the disease).
From a caregiver or loved one’s perspective, the idea of having a person living with dementia outdoors may be worrisome. After all, ensuring their safety is the number one priority. However, we cannot let our fears become inhibitors of a person’s ability to live an active and healthy life after a diagnosis. How then can caregivers have peace of mind whilst ensuring that the person living with dementia is able to enjoy time outdoors?
One way to do so is through the use of safety devices. There are devices that detect motion, those that can play set reminders, and those which can be accessed remotely in order to facilitate communication. There are also wearable devices which can be used to track the location of a person. One example is the Careium 480, a GPS-watch which can be used for location tracking purposes, calling, sending alarm signals and be specially customised to meet the needs of people living with dementia.
