Advice

Ideas to help a person with dementia enjoy following sports

A dementia diagnosis doesn’t mean you have to stop being a sports fan, though how you follow your favourite team or players may need to change over time. Sports fandom can offer stimulation, reminiscence, and a sense of identity and community.

Live games

Adapting how you attend live sports can help as dementia progresses, such as booking seats in quieter areas or arriving earlier for less queueing. More clubs and venues provide dementia-friendly activities and facilities now.

People who can’t attend games might like watching them live in a sports bar or at home, especially if it’s with fellow fans.

Is there an event food you could have at home – strawberries and cream during Wimbledon, perhaps?

Fans often comment in real time on social media during games, using hashtags on Twitter or in a Facebook group. Messaging apps, such as WhatsApp, can be used in a similar way.

Sights, sounds and more

Classic games, opening ceremonies and old episodes of shows such as Match of the Day or A Question of Sport – on DVD or online – could evoke happy memories, as can hearing memorable commentaries.

Sports trivia can make for great conversations, or even quizzes. Some people love having memorabilia and merchandise around, including team scarves, signed balls or annuals. Or photos of themselves at events or of favourite sports stars.

Someone’s culture or experiences could mean there are sports with special meaning, such as kabaddi, Irish GAA games or Aussie rules football.

In the later stages of dementia, the person may enjoy the feel of holding a rugby ball or the smell of a freshly oiled cricket bat.

Hearing chants or the crowd’s roar and seeing a ball followed through the air or wickets being knocked over could offer joy and comfort.

What you said 

On Talking Point, George Edward says,

‘I am very lucky my husband has been supporting Manchester City since he was a small boy. He may forget the players’ names but has a good friend since childhood who is prepared to take him to all the home games.’ 

Mary Hunter, a reader in West Yorkshire, says, ‘My husband Chris has Lewy body dementia. He loves football, golf and horse racing. 

‘I help him to use his online betting platform. We only have very small bets but enjoy watching together. I never used to join him in this activity before, so it’s a new shared interest. We had a wonderful week when Cheltenham was on.’ 

Gillian Birch says, ‘I recorded all the Formula 1 races for my client, and because my other client doesn’t like F1, I recorded Downton Abbey in the other room. Both blissfully happy.’