Hey everyone, welcome back to another daily senior
safety advice podcast. I'm Esther Kane, a retired
occupational therapist and a certified aging
in place specialist. This is March. March is
mobility and independence month. And if you've
been listening, you know that we're talking about
all issues. related to mobility and independence.
And today I'm going to talk about encouraging
movement for loved ones with dementia. I want
to say this upfront. This is one of those topics
that sounds kind of simple but feels really hard
when you're living it. I worked in geriatric
head injury for years which included dementia,
Alzheimer's, any type of neurological issues.
So I'm very familiar with working with seniors
suffering from dementia. And movement can be
a difficult issue to manage with them. Now, movement
in this case isn't just about exercise. For someone
with dementia, it's about fear. It's about confusion.
And it's about the habits that they had previously
that are quietly slipping away. And if you're
caring for someone with dementia, you've probably
noticed how quickly movement can drop off. They
tend to sit more. They hesitate more. They say
no more. You know, they say, that's it. You know,
I'm not going here. I'm not sitting there. I'm
not moving from here. And you might find yourself
thinking, if they just move a little more, they
may feel better. And you're not necessarily wrong.
But what I want to give you today is a gentler
way to think about movement in this instance,
a way that works with seniors with dementia,
not against it, and a way that protects your
loved one's dignity. safety and confidence. And
here's the big thing that I want you to remember
as I talk, as you listen to this podcast. Movement
doesn't have to look like exercise. That's usually
where things kind of get stuck. When we picture
movement, we picture walking laps or doing exercises
or following instructions. And for someone with
dementia, that can feel overwhelming. It's too
many steps, too many words, too much pressure.
What I've seen and experienced over the years
is that seniors with dementia move more when
movement is part of something familiar, something
purposeful, something that feels normal. That's
usually when I see resistance tend to drop. Think
about it like this. Your loved one may not remember
that they're supposed to exercise. They might
remember, though, how to fold towels or how to
water plants or how to set the table. Those are
all movements. Those are all real movements and
very good movements. And honestly, they're often
safer and really, at the end of the day, more
meaningful than formal exercises. I've seen this
come up a lot with family caregivers who usually
feel guilty. They'll say, I know they need to
move more, but I can't get them to do exercises.
And I always tell them, you're not failing. You're
just aiming at the wrong target. Dementia changes
how the brain understands instructions. It changes
how the brain plans movement. So instead of asking
someone to do this, It works better to invite
them into doing something. And that invitation
doesn't need a whole lot of words. Simple works
best. Sometimes it's as simple as standing up.
Stand up. You stand. You smile. You say, come
with me. And they move. That shared movement
and that shared moment matters. One thing I noticed
when working with seniors with dementia is that
they often mirror what's happening around them.
If you sit, they sit. If you move, they're more
likely to move. So your body language matters
more than your words. It's important when you're
working with anyone or helping anyone with dementia
to keep the number of words that you give in
an instruction as little as possible. Now, That,
of course, depends on the stage of dementia that
they're in. At the beginning, you can probably
say a full entire sentence and they'll understand.
But as the disease progresses, you do need to
break it down into smaller increments. Most likely,
they're not going to remember everything that
you're asking them to do. And that's confusing
and frightening. So here's where safety comes
in because moving without safety just really
ends up creating more stress. If your loved one
is afraid of falling, they will avoid moving
and fear shows up quietly. They may say they're
tired. They might say they're fine where they
are. They might get irritated when you suggest
getting up. That's often fear talking. So take
a look at the environment. Is there clutter in
the walking paths? Are there throw rugs that
shift, you know, is the ground just not safe,
doesn't feel safe? Is the lighting dim or uneven?
When the space feels safer, movement tends to
feel safer. I've also seen how powerful routine
can be. And I am repeating this because I know
I've said this in other podcasts, but routine
is extremely important when working with seniors
with dementia. People with dementia tend to do
better when movement happens at the same time
every day not because they remember the schedule
Definitely not because they remember the schedule
but because the body remembers the patterns Because
it's a short walk after breakfast, you know Because
it's a standing at the kitchen counter while
you're preparing lunch because it's a few stretches
while waiting for the kettle to boil, those kinds
of little things, the same time, same place associated
with the same action, same event. That's when
movement becomes familiar instead of stressful.
And let's talk about mood for a minute because
movement and mood are deeply connected. When
people stop moving, they often become more anxious.
more restless, more withdrawn. And then caregivers
think movement isn't working. But what's really
happening is that the lack of movement is making
everything harder. Even gentle movement can regulate
sleep. It can improve appetite. It can reduce
agitation. I've seen people become calmer just
from standing up and walking down a short hallway.
Not miles, not laps, just movement. That would
happen often when I would go visit a patient
in their home and they were grumpy and annoyed
and complaining and whatever but taking a short
walk down the catwalk or you know around the
block or anything at all and they were completely
different by the time we got back. And here's
something that families don't always realize
praise truly matters. It happens, it matters
at every age honestly, but especially with someone
with dementia. Not big praise. I'm not talking
about being, you know, overwhelmingly praising,
not cheering, just simple acknowledgement. Nice
job standing up. That was great. That looks really
good. Thanks so much for walking with me. I really
needed that. Those little comments reinforce
safety and success. Correcting, rushing, or pointing
out mistakes does the opposite. And honestly,
this part is important too. You don't need to
force movement. Forcing creates resistance and
resistance increases risk, especially fall risk.
If today is a low energy day, that's okay. You
meet them where they are. Tomorrow may look different.
Consistency over time matters more than any single
day. I also want to say this to you because caregivers
need to hear it. You are not responsible for
making dementia better. Your role is to support
comfort, safety, and quality of life. Movement
supports all of those, but only when it's done
with patience and compassion. So if you remember
nothing else from today's episode remember this
Movement with dementia works best when it feels
Normal when you're doing a normal activity when
it feels safe when it feels shared It's not like
therapy. It's not a task. It's just part of life
doing a life task And honestly, that's what occupational
therapy is really all about, isn't it? It's bringing
the person back to life tasks. Well, that's all
I have for you today. Thank you again so much
for listening, for being here with me. If today's
episode gave you any useful insights or some
new ideas or tips, then please share it with
someone who might find it helpful as well. You
can discover even more expert tips and helpful
guides for seniors and caregivers at seniorsafetyadvice
.com. And hey, if you're searching for an aging
in place specialist, then please visit our website
at aginginplacedirectory .com. There you can
find professionals who can help with home modifications
to make living longer and safer in your home
possible. Come back tomorrow for more useful
tips, insights, and ideas. right here on the
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