Following the free Dementia Rehabilitiation e-Course I was involved ih developing, now being hosted by Dementia Training Australia, it is great to share another step towards supporting people with dementia to remain active and engaged in their (our) communities.

It is even more important to people with dementia and their care partners and families who support them, especially when for the last 17+ years, I have only met one person with dementia who was not prescribed disengagement… and exercise is part of the process for reinvesting in life after a diagnosis of dementia, not just giving up and waiting to die.

This resource was developed to support people living with dementia, their families, and care partners to stay active safely and confidently. It includes practical strategies, examples, and key messages that reflect the valuable insights that many people living with dementia, care cartners, professionals and others shared throughout the project.

One of the team at Monash University provided this introduction to the following resource:

The Staying Active with Dementia booklet (1) is a guide developed for people living with dementia and their families, friends and/or key supporters. Co-designed by Monash University researchers and lived experience experts, this new resource provides information, key considerations and useful contact details in relation to physical activity and dementia. The evidence-based booklet is an output connected to the Changing the Focus Program – a project that uses a shared decision support tool to facilitate collaborative discussions between a research physiotherapist, a person living with dementia and their care partner.  Such discussions take place during initial meetings to enable tailored selection of physical activity options. Key aspects of the Changing the Focus program have been selected and provided in the booklet to facilitate access to the information for people outside the program.

The 16-page booklet contains a combination of text and images, including tips and spaces for people to make personal notes; to aid in creating an accessible resource that can be personalised to meet the needs of the person using it. Booklet topics include, why staying active matters; what counts as physical activity; how much activity is enough; supporting active participation with confidence; getting started; staying motivated and supported; quick start checklist; where to get help; and key messages.

This project was funded through the National Centre for Healthy Ageing Living Labs program with support from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care.

By Lisa Licciardi (she/her), BOccTherapy | Cert IV in Fitness (PT) | Cert III in Fitness

Research Fellow – Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre & Department of Occupational Therapy, PhD Candidate – Department of Occupational Therapy, Research Affiliate – National Centre for Healthy Ageing (NCHA), Honorary Research Appointment – Peninsula Health

Download the free resource here...

Reference:

Lee, D. C. A., Licciardi, L., Swaffer, K., & Hill, K. (2025). Staying active with dementia: A guide for people living with dementia and their families, friends and/or key supporters. Monash University, Rehabilitation, Ageing.