Sky Blues in the Community’s Dementia Active tackling the difficulties those with dementia face.

Football Clubs are helping to tackle is Dementia. In England, it is estimated that 675,000 people have dementia. The majority, although not all, of these individuals are over 65 and have other underlying health conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on everyone but for those with dementia it was really bad feel like really bad could be something different to really emphasise it.. Social isolation meant a significant impact to daily life and a disruption of normal routines and care for over two years. Research has shown that extended isolation is linked to worsening cognitive ability, as well as an increase in mental health issues including loneliness and depression. Even when people were able to slowly return to their pre-pandemic routine, for older adults with dementia, a return to the ‘old normal’ has been harder to manage due to a decline in cognitive health.

Recognising that those with dementia were disproportionately negatively impacted by the pandemic, Sky Blues in the Community worked with Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Partnership Trust to identify the local need. Consequently, Sky Blues in the Community (SBitC) received funding from the Warwickshire Social Impact Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund to deliver ‘Dementia Active’.

Dementia Active is delivered by SBitC in partnership with Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Partnership Trust. Therefore, the programme offers support from SBitC’s Senior Coaches as well as staff from CWPT’s specialist secondary care Dementia service. The aim of Dementia Active is to tackle social isolation and increase physical activity, which in turn promotes self-care, increases support networks, increases cognitive stimulation, and supports mobility.

Another key focus is ensuring participants benefit by socialising. The programme encourages conversations, create welcoming, positive, relaxed environments for participants from across the social spectrum and age ranges to come together and make friends. Moreover, Dementia Active supports carers to benefit from respite, socialise with other carers and develop a support network. At a Dementia Active session, there is a menu of weekly activities. These are multi sports, physical activities which help participants relax, have fun, socialise and include warm-ups, “feel-good” exercises, drills, skills, games followed by football, cricket, badminton, basketball, table tennis, bowls, indoor archery, cool downs etc. They are tailored to ability and mobility to ensure everyone can participate.

The parents of one participant commented “My son is 20 and has Dementia as a result from a neurological condition. We found that there were no services in the community for him, so it was just so lovely to hear about this Dementia active group where he could come along and engage in the bits that he liked. We came along today and it’s amazing, it’s really good. He’s played badminton, he’s been bowling, throwing bean bags, he loves the archery! Sky Blues in the Community are so supportive and they engage with him 1-2-1.”