Know the person you are caring for

  • What did the person like doing before the onset of dementia?
  • Did they enjoy walking, doing the gardening or playing bowls?
  • It’s important to know their lifestyle before dementia so you can encourage them to do activities that they are familiar with and enjoy.

Activities that are meaningful have the added benefit of helping people stay connected to who they are. For example, if someone always used to do the family’s laundry and hang it out on the line to dry, see if they would like to do that again. The activity of hanging out the washing is good exercise and may give the person a sense of satisfaction and meaning.