Program helps seniors with dementia stay active, engaged

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This article was published 12/11/2021 (1646 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The pandemic has made it difficult for everyone to stay engaged with family and friends, especially those who live with mental health challenges.

To make it easier for seniors in the early stages of dementia to stay connected, the Alzheimer Society is running Minds in Motion, a program designed for people with early to moderate signs of dementia and their caregivers to stay physically and mentally active while socializing and having fun.

The society has an afternoon session every Wednesday at the Prairie Oasis Senior Centre. It’s an opportunity for seniors and one other person, either a spouse or a caregiver, to have some social time in a relaxed environment, said Chris Waugh, the Westman regional co-ordinator for the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba.

“As a person advances in their dementia, the more exercise and socialization that you can do, the better they can keep the brain active,” Waugh said. “What is happening is the brain is decreasing in size and each stage brings its own challenges.”

Each session has 45 minutes of light, chair-based yoga exercise, a coffee and social break and then 45 minutes of games, such as Jenga or bocce.

Minds in Motion sessions help to keep the brain’s synapses firing, slowing the progress of the disease.

The program runs once a week for eight weeks. Participants must register as there is only space for 11 pairs and it is $65 per couple. Wednesday’s session was week five for the fall season. This season wraps up on Dec. 1 and the next one begins Jan. 19.

Most of the games and exercises are just for fun. Waugh said science proves that light physical and mental activity helps alleviate some signs, but for society, it is mostly to help people stay engaged.

As well, the social aspect helps deal with loneliness and isolation that comes with a dementia diagnosis. Part of the program’s goal is to combat the stigma of dementia by getting people out of their homes and back into the community. Waugh explained this is to help the person understand that despite their diagnoses, they are still part of the community.

“One thing I like to tell people is if you notice someone is missing from your friend group, then all of a sudden realize they have dementia, the important thing is to pull them back into the community,” he said. “This is also to help the caregivers have a respite.”

One of those caregivers enjoying a round of bocce was Susan Burgess, 62, who was with her mother, Isobel Airey, 84. Burgess said her mom truly loves coming to each session, dubbing it “girls’ day.” The pair always have lots of laughs and meet new people and can get together with old friends.

“It amazes me the competitiveness of [these people; they still like] to win,” she quipped. “I can’t even say enough; if you have somebody you know who will benefit, it really is great.”

Since they have been coming, Burgess said, she has noticed a great improvement in her mother. She attributes this to having something to look forward to every week, adding COVID-19 has been hard on seniors specifically.

Having Minds in Motion located at Prairie Oasis Seniors Centre has been a godsend for the administration, explained Amanda Fast, who works as admin at the centre.

It makes it easy to refer people because they have a large client base that has a need for such activities.

At the beginning of the pandemic, they had a grant-funded program called the Seniors Engagement Referral program, where they could help connect people to services like counselling, COVID-19 information, or recommend an activity to help with isolation. That program’s funding ran out in March, but Minds in Motion has been filling the gap perfectly.

There is a lot of interest in keeping this program going for as long as they can. The next session is already half-booked and Fast said she wants to see it filled again.

To book your spot, call 204-727-6641, or Waugh at 204-729-8320, or email wmprog@alzheimer.mb.ca. More information can be found at www.alzheimer.mb.ca.

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