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The pandemic has changed many of our habits. And we are trying, obviously without abandoning the precautions, to regain possession of our life. It’s not easy. But it is even more difficult for those who live with Alzheimer’s disease.
For these people, the outside world recedes, memory and affections fade away. And for those who assist those who deal with the disease, the challenge is very difficult. This is why it is important to know how to move. And it is essential to follow the advice of experts.
“The physical and social isolation caused by the pandemic has put a strain on people with dementia who have paid a very high price in terms of health and worsening of the quality of life: in this phase in which it is possible to resume a series of social activities outside, many family members have asked us for support to help them identify the most suitable activities to do together with their loved ones – explains Gabriella Salvini Porro, President of the Alzheimer Federation Italy .
Thus, thanks to our psychologists and occupational therapists, we have drawn up some simple suggestions to regain possession of social and relational spaces outside the home and the family unit. ” So here it is a series of practical tips dedicated to family members of people with dementia to organize psycho-motor activity outside the home, keeping the psycho-physical well-being of people with dementia as a primary objective.
What to plan outdoors
There are three areas of activity which can be done outside. In terms of movement, in the cooler hours of the day, it may be useful to take a walk around the house, in the courtyard or even in a park near the house with the sole aim of walking. Obviously, always paying attention to avoid the hottest moments of the day, it is also advisable to focus on cognitive stimulation activities. What does it mean?
The person can be accompanied to the park or public gardens, sit on a bench and observe what is happening around. You can do simple “exercises”, such as looking at the flowers and trying to recognize them, observe the people passing by, feel the scents and noises. Or even, if you have a courtyard or a terrace, take care of the plants: water them, remove the dry leaves, plant new flowers.
Finally, among the recreational and recreational activities, going to the bar for a coffee or having an ice cream, attending an outdoor concert, going to a church or a museum can help. But obviously in these cases the tolerance time of the individual person with dementia must be evaluated.
Attention then: in addition to the benefits, the carer must also take into account less positive aspects such as, for example, the risk of fatigue or the onset of physical discomfort or pain that can affect mood (for example pain in feet or knees ) or even the possibility that other people’s behaviors, such as the screaming of children or the barking of dogs, can create discomfort and stress for the person with dementia.
Starting from personal experience
On the psychological front, the advice of experts for those who assist starts from the need to start with personal history of life of the person with dementia: experiences, character, interests as well as needs serve in fact to identify the most suitable activities that will then be included in a daily routine that allows the family member a better organization of the day, and helps the person with dementia to feel more sure. For this purpose it is useful evaluate 5 factors:
- personal history: what were the habits, interests and passions before the diagnosis, the social activities that he carried out with particular pleasure;
- personality: what were the character characteristics before the onset of the disease, for example was he apathetic and solitary or sociable and creative;
- physical state: it is important to be clear about the person’s real ability to move and walk, in order to evaluate the opportunity to use a walker or a wheelchair;
- cognitive-behavioral status: analysis of what are the residual memory, communication and relational abilities;
- environment: the family caregiver’s task is to make a careful analysis of the external environment, identifying places of interest for the person with dementia, evaluating any architectural barriers, prefer paths with benches or chairs where he can rest and the presence of covered areas in case of rain or too much sun.
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