Page 12 - Autumn 2019

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Guide to dementia
Guide to dementia
friendly sports
friendly sports
and physical activity
and physical activity
“I have a little exercise routine that’s really important
to me because I know what’s good for the heart is
good for the head and it probably keeps the demen-
tia at bay.”
For Tracey Shorthouse, taking part in physical
activity at her local gym plays a crucial role in man-
aging her condition. The 48-year-old, who was diag-
nosed with young onset Alzheimer’s and Posterior
Cortical Atrophy in 2015, is one of 850,000 people
living with dementia in the UK.
“My memory’s not bad at all – my dementia affects balance and vision and although I al-
ways put on a brave face, it’s not all sweetness and light and can be scary,” explains Tracey.
“I feel lucky that the people at the gym are so supportive and I hope gyms and sports cen-
tres follow their lead because the benefits are socially and physically vital to people with de-
mentia.”
Yet, despite dementia being increasingly common, many people with the condition struggle
to live active lives and say there can be many barriers that prevent them taking part in activity.
These could include difficulty in navigating around a sports facility or remembering how to use
equipment in a leisure centre. Others worry about people’s reactions: for example, staff not un-
derstanding their difficulties, or a lack of confidence in finding the right activities.
Bringing down barriers - We believe sport and physical activity is something everyone
should be able to enjoy and benefit from. That’s why we’ve teamed up with the Alzheimer’s So-
ciety to produce a dementia-friendly sport and physical activity guide. The guide, which was pro-
duced with National Lottery funding and can be downloaded here, aims to help the sports sector
bring down barriers that prevent people living with dementia from taking part in sport and physical
activity.
The practical guide aims to inform and educate individuals and organisations, so they have
a better knowledge of dementia and how it affects people. It also provides tools and guidance
so that the sector can help more people affected by dementia enjoy the benefits of staying active
in a caring and understanding environment.
We're working with the Alzheimer’s Society to help people with dementia live active lives.
We’ve teamed up with the Alzheimer’s Society to produce a dementia-friendly sport and physical
activity guide. The guide, which was produced with National Lottery funding aims to help the
sports sector bring down barriers that prevent people living with dementia from taking part in
sport and physical activity.
Tim Hollingsworth, our chief executive, said the document would go some way to building
a dementia-friendly society and help more people get active. “We want to transform the way the
sport and physical activity sector thinks, acts and talks about dementia – with every leisure cen-
tre, community hall and sports club equipped with the resources to meet the needs of those
living with the condition,” he added. 850,000 people live with dementia in the UK.
“Whether it’s a leisure facility management team, reception desk staff, an exercise profes-
sional leading a class, community coaches, or volunteers, we need them to make the small
changes needed to support people affected by dementia to get active and keep active.
“Defeating dementia won’t happen overnight, but until that day, we must all pull together to create
a dementia-friendly society and that is why I’m proud to support this guide and commend the
sport and physical activity sector for uniting against dementia.”