Adjustments to Change

As we get older, the things we did in our younger days become more difficult as our bodies grow older and we need to slow down and take it a bit easier. That is not to say we shouldn't try to continue to do the things we like, we just need to adjust them to suit our personal abilities.

This is even more important if you have Dementia. In the same way that you will need to consider your physical abilities due to ageing, you will also need to consider your mental abilities, especially after your Dementia has progressed past the early stages. Something that may be easy to do one day, may be more difficult in 6 or 12 months time. If no change has been made to the activity, then it may not be possible for you to do it at all.

It would certainly be a shame to have to give up doing something you enjoy due to not making a change to the activity to cater for changes in your Dementia. As an example, you may enjoy putting jigsaws back together. At one time you could do a 5,000 piece jigsaw in a couple of hours. Now it takes you a whole day to put together a 500 piece jigsaw. In this instance, why not use a 50 piece jigsaw? You could then continue to enjoy jigsaws and still have time for other activities!

This method of adjustment can be applied to all your activities in one form or another. If you used to enjoy ten-pin bowling but can no longer take part (for any number of reasons), then maybe you would like to have a try at Crown Green Bowls? If you used to enjoy hiking in the hills, then maybe you would enjoy a brisk walk along the beach or in the countryside?

These are all things that need to be decided when you consider what changes you need to make to your lifestyle. In the early stages of Dementia, it is quite likely that you may make some of these changes yourself. This is fine, however, it would be a good idea to get someone else involved at an early stage. This will enable the other person to help you consider some potential benefits or difficulties that may not be obvious to yourself, or to offer additional or alternate suggestions to the activities you are planning.

Your carer, family member or support worker can help you decide what activities would be of benefit to you, and provide assistance if it is required. Your activities will then need careful monitoring and regular reviews to ensure that they are still within your capabilities, and whether there is anything else that can be done to help you to continue doing them. Failure to make these ongoing adjustments will no doubt result in the activity becoming unmanageable. If you are having difficulty with any aspect of your activities please tell you carer, family member, or support worker to see if you a solution can be found.

As already mentioned, everyone will need to change their lifestyle to cater for their age and abilities, but as a person with Dementia, it is inevitable that you will need to make more changes than the average person. If you follow the advice here, it should help you to continue to do the things you like, (and the things that are good for you), for as long as possible.