An active life with Alzheimer's

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As an Alzheimer’s patient, you may be unsure about pursuing certain activities. Here are some great ideas to get you started:

• Ask yourself what activities are most important to you and best reflect who you are as a person. 
• Find things to do that provide stimulation, but are not too lengthy or difficult.
• Accept that you may gradually need to adapt activities even though you have learned certain skills and abilities. 
• Avoid over-structuring each day with loads of activities. If you feel overstimulated, take a break.
• Identify a cause you are passionate about and offer your services. Volunteering can provide you with a real sense of purpose and value when you make a difference to those around you. 
• Share special time with young people and grandchildren. That could mean attending their sporting events, playing games, singing, dancing, having a picnic or a fun cooking/baking session. 
• Make a point of spending quality time with people you trust who won‘t patronise or over-help you.
• Find out about social groups in your area and consider joining them.
• Don’t be afraid to try something new. Learn how to play a musical instrument or join a drumming class.
• Learn how to use a computer. Email and social media platforms such as Facebook are a wonderful way to stay connected with people.
• Focus on what you can do now, in the moment. Try not to be concerned about what other people think.
• Care for a pet. You may find this to be very rewarding. 
• Look at ways of expressing yourself through painting, poetry or simply keeping a journal of your thoughts.
• Engage in mentally stimulating activities such as reading, writing, crossword puzzles, card games and Scrabble. These types of activities are important for brain health and can help preserve memory in old age. 
• Practise positive self-reinforcement and take small steps each day. Try to remain positive and optimistic every day. 
• Laugh a lot. Laughter and fun can help you stay positive and maintain a fresh perspective. After all, laughter is still the best medicine. 

Have no fear
Try not to let anxiety, the fear of being judged, low self-confidence or frustrations about keeping up with others deter you from enjoying an active life. You should focus on doing what you want to do – whether it's meditating, reading, playing with your grandchildren, looking through old photo albums or listening to some of your favourite music. It’s not about frantically trying to keep busy all the time. If you don’t balance activities with enough relaxation, life could become stressful.