How to Adapt Activity so it’s Dementia Friendly

Adapt activity so it’s Dementia friendly

These resources will help you adapt activity to be dementia-friendly, so everyone may benefit from physical activity.

Physical activity reduces the effects of dementia, according to various studies. This can help someone living with dementia lead a healthier, and also a fuller lifestyle.

Social care staff can make use of the resources below. They will help you to develop and adapt activities so they are more inclusive for a person living with Dementia.

Please also visit our Resources section. This contains delivery guides for adapting activities such as Boccia and New Age Kurling. We also have an Activity & Health section which has a dedicated section on physical activity and Dementia.

This information and resources on this page come from the learnings from our Mobile Me project.

Dementia Care Mapping Observations

Dementia Care Mapping is used to create person-centred care. It involves continuously watching how people with Dementia behave, and the care they receive.

In partnership with the medical school at the University of East Anglia, we developed a study that used Dementia Care Mapping in a qualitative way. Using this method, we were able to monitor the effects of physical activity on people living with advanced stage Dementia.

Next, we worked with the UEA to produce the resources below. The aim of these resources is to share our learning with the social care community.

Staff can use these resources to improve their understanding of how physical activity benefits people living with Dementia. They can also feel more confident in adapting activities for people of all abilities. In particular, staff will be able to adapt physical activities for those living with advanced stage Dementia.

The video below reviews some of the key learnings from the project. One important takeaway was the importance of the instructor in delivering these activities. This showed that the instructor’s knowledge and skill in adapting activities is crucial. Conclusively, adapting the activities was shown to increase participants’ engagement and enjoyment of the activities.

Additional support to adapt activity

We also developed additional resources to support practitioners to adapt activities. These include a summary infographic, additional Dementia Care Mapping observations video, and also adapted exercise guides. You can access these resources below. Alternatively, if you need any help using them, get in touch with us.

Adapting Activity for Dementia Infographic (pdf, 1.79 MB)

We developed this infographic to highlight the key considerations when adapting activity for those living with Dementia

Download the infographic

Monitoring the Effects of Physical Activity on People Living with Dementia (pdf, 844.54 KB)

This case study illustrates the Dementia Care Mapping programme that was undertaken by the UEA Medical School as part of the Mobile Me project

View

Adapting Activities to be Dementia Friendly

We’ve created easy-to-use resources to help social care practitioners to adapt activities to be Dementia friendly. These adaptations also make activities suitable for participants of all abilities.

Access the Adapting Activities Guides

Additional Dementia Resources

Dementia Adventure helps those living with the disease to retain a sense of adventure by getting outdoors

Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia-friendly sport and physical activity guide

Getting active with Dementia – a safe guide to getting started

Being Active with Dementia – a guide from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

Mobile Me Case Study

We worked closely with the University of East Anglia to develop these resources. Through the Mobile Me project we have contributed to the wider body of learning about how physical activity can be used to support the health of those living with moderate to advanced Dementia.

Mobile Me

Find out more

Mobile Me Findings

Learn about Mobile Me

Dementia-Friendly Walks

Access a Checklist to create your own

NorseCare Case Study

Learn about our work with NorseCare