Dementia Wellness this Winter

The cold has arrived and we are all experiencing the effects thereof. Persons with dementia experience the decreased light, limited outside engagement, increased aches and pains and decreased activity levels.

Here are some tips as to how you can assist your family with dementia through these colder months:
·         Find opportunities to increase their physical activity levels indoors. Play more games, find chores within the home, go to bigger spaces in the community (if they don’t find shopping malls too over-stimulating), do seated exercises or have them join a gym (small and private).
·         New indoor activities, explore past interests and encourage new ones, knitting, board games, gardening (inside) and reminiscence activities are lovely for winter.
·         More light, turn on the lights earlier in the day and keep them on (if possible).
·         Try and stick to the same routine or as close as possible to it. Sleep patterns change easily in the winter, so do make sure to monitor the sleep pattern of your family with dementia: sleeping too much during the day can lead to decreased mobility levels and decreased sleep at night.
·         Take advantage of the sunlight. When it is a lovely sunny day, take your family member with dementia outside, go for long walks and let them absorb the vitamin D.
·         Maintain the person’s immunity levels. Flu’s and colds can negatively affect persons with dementia and lead to secondary complications such as falls and pneumonia. Ensure that the person receives a multivitamin and that everyone washes their hands often, keeping the germs at bay.
Winters don’t have to be depressing! Make some small changes, get creative and assist someone living with dementia to stay engaged and active.

Location: South Africa 1 Derry St, Vredehoek, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa

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