Dementia describes a set of symptoms caused by a progressive decline of brain functioning, which in turn can affect how the body and mind function. There are many forms of dementia; each person experiences it differently and every individual’s dementia journey is unique to them.

Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells. This damage interferes with the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other. When brain cells cannot communicate normally, thinking, behaviour and feelings can be affected. According to The Alzheimer’s Society, there are currently 900,000 people in the UK with dementia.

It has been proven that encouraging activities for people with dementia improves their sense of wellbeing. The Alzheimer’s Society shop has a wonderful range of games that support independence, enjoyment, communication, and quality of life.

Studies also show that individuals with dementia benefit from outdoor activities, not just physically but also mentally. Social Care Institute of Excellence (scie.org.uk) reports that people with dementia are less likely to become agitated and distressed if they have regular access to fresh air and exercise.

“One person caring about another represents life’s greatest value” — Jim Rohn
It is vital that carers and family members are kept informed throughout the dementia diagnosis process, so all parties are aware and feel empowered by knowing what is to come. It can be difficult to watch a loved one’s health and mind deteriorate, and to balance what is best for their loved one and their family.

Here at PillarCare, we know that introducing activities to a person with dementia is an important part of their care.

As part of our concierge service, and to provide support to our lovely client Meredith and her family, we created a personalised social calendar full of Meredith’s favourite activities. These range from a walk in the park to a concert at the Royal Opera House. Meredith and her wonderful carer really enjoy the activities and they have made a great impact on Meredith’s physical and mental health.

It has not only helped Meredith but her family too, as they have been able to see the positive impact on Meredith and have been given some respite.

There are some amazing initiatives to help provide a loved one with wellbeing benefits and support for their families.These include:

• Dementia Adventure — They offer a range of services and support for families and individuals with dementia. Their aim is to enable people living with dementia to get outdoors, connect with nature, themselves, and their community, and keep a sense of adventure in their lives, whatever ‘adventure’ may mean to the individual, while providing much-needed respite for their carer. See dementiaadventure.org

• Healthy walk schemes — Many organisations across the UK run healthy walk schemes. Age UK (ageuk.org.uk), The Wildlife Trusts (wildlifetrusts.org), and some local authorities work with organisations that run these walks.

• Alzheimer’s Society — You can access a great range of downloadable information from the society’s website, to help support your loved one with dementia. Take a look at alzheimers.org.uk

If you would like to speak to a member of the Pillarcare team, you can contact us on 020 7482 2188 or email: enquiries@pillarcare.co.uk

Rubika Razaq is marketing and business development associate at Pillarcare