Advice for living well with dementia

Dementia changes daily life, but it doesn't have to stop someone enjoying it. With the right support, many people continue to live full, active lives after a diagnosis. This guide covers practical ways to make daily life easier, activities that genuinely help, and where families can find support. We also look at how a live-in carer can help someone keep living well at home.

After a dementia diagnosis

There's no right or wrong way to react to a diagnosis of dementia. Some people feel a strong sense of grief. Others feel some relief at finally understanding the symptoms they've been experiencing.

After a diagnosis, keep these things in mind:

• Memory loss and changes in thinking are symptoms. They don't define a person or erase who they are
• Everyone experiences dementia differently
• People with dementia can still do and enjoy the things they love. Focusing on these can help them feel positive and stay engaged

Talking about dementia diagnosis

Your loved one might need time before sharing their diagnosis with others. Or they might want to tell those closest to them straight away. If they’re unsure how to approach these difficult conversations, it can help to think together about:

• Who they feel comfortable telling first, such as a partner or children
• What they want others to know about how daily life will change, or the symptoms they’re experiencing
• How they honestly feel, and the worries they have
• How they want to be treated, and where they’d like support
• Whether they need space to process things, or want to set boundaries around offers of help

Seeking outside support

Some people feel more comfortable speaking to someone outside the family first. A trained dementia professional can also help your loved one plan how to tell others close to them.

• Alzheimer's Society's Dementia Support Line: 0333 150 3456
• Dementia UK's Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline: 0800 888 6678

Advice from Wendy Mitchell on offering support after a diagnosis

Wendy Mitchell became a dementia campaigner after being diagnosed with early onset dementia at the age of 58. She shared her experience of living with dementia on her blog, Which Me Am I Today?, and gave advice to families supporting a loved one after diagnosis. Wendy passed away in 2024, but her advice still helps families today. In her interview with Elder, she said she actually preferred the phrase “living the best your circumstances allow” over “living well”. She felt it was a goal everyone could reach, whatever stage of dementia they’re at.

Here’s Wendy’s advice for supporting someone after diagnosis:

1. Don't automatically do things for your loved one. Jumping in and finishing a task for them can be frustrating. Instead, help them do it themselves, or find a new way to do it.
2. Don't think of a diagnosis as the end. Life will be different, but that doesn't mean it will be worse. It's about adapting and taking each day as it comes.
3. Remember your loved one still has interests and talents. These don't disappear overnight. Encourage them to keep up with what matters to them.
4. Remember your loved one is still a person with feelings. Include them in conversations, even if their responses differ from what you expect.

Living well with dementia: tips for daily life

A person with dementia will find some things harder than before. These steps can make managing daily tasks easier for the whole family.

Maintain a regular routine

Change can cause confusion or distress. A weekly timetable, kept somewhere visible like the fridge, can help. If certain times of day suit your loved one better, schedule tasks that need more concentration, such as shopping or appointments, around those times. This is also worth bearing in mind if your loved one experiences sundowning, since evenings may not be the best time for anything demanding.

Keep essential things in one place

Keep items like glasses, keys and a wallet in the same spot every time, so you and your loved one always know where to find them. A pill organiser box (dosette box) lowers the risk of missed or misplaced medication, and helps your loved one take it at the right time.

Automate regular payments

Set up direct debits for your loved one’s regular bills. This way, nothing gets missed.

Keep up with health checkups

Dementia makes it more important, not less, to look after physical health. Untreated sight or hearing problems can make communication harder than it needs to be. The NHS offers free eye tests for people over 60, and a GP can arrange hearing tests and treatment.

Make the home dementia friendly

Keep windows clear so natural light gets in, and add automatic sensor lights to hallways and bathrooms. This helps minimise confusion and reduce the risk of falls. Soft furnishings cut background noise too.

If depth perception or telling shapes apart becomes difficult, remove rugs and add contrasting colours around the home. Avoid bold patterns, as these can cause disorientation. Labels on cupboards and doors, such as a toilet sign on the bathroom door, help too. Our guide to creating a dementia-friendly home environment covers this in more detail.

Activities for people with dementia

Many activities can benefit people with dementia, and we've shared some ideas below. If you're planning these for a loved one, remember that nobody wants to be told how to spend their time. Plan activities together, so they match the person's hobbies and interests and genuinely improve their quality of life.

Creative activities

Why? If you and your loved one enjoy arts and crafts, there's no reason to give it up. Creative activities build a sense of achievement and help motor skills.

Things to try:

• Adult colouring books
• Adult crafting kits
• Pottery painting
• Sculpting with air dry clay
• Creating collages or decoupage using magazines
• Joining an art therapy class, such as those run by Arts for Dementia

Outdoor activities

Why? Staying active helps with balance and coordination, and it's a genuine mood booster. Exercising outside also helps regulate the body clock, which can ease confusion and improve sleep.

Things to try:

• Gentle exercise, such as walking in a local park or public garden, or to the shops
• Planting herbs or flowers in the garden, or growing plants from seed
• Playing sports such as golf, badminton or bowls
• Taking a day trip to the beach
• Photography
• Downloading the free Wylder app, which gives daily prompts to help you connect with nature

Before heading out, check opening times and whether the venue has seating, a cafe or toilets. It's also worth checking entry costs. Many venues give a carer or companion completely free entry when they accompany someone who’s eligible. Schemes like the CEA Card at cinemas, or a venue’s own access scheme, make this possible. This is usually free entry, not half price, so it's always worth asking before you pay.

Social activities

Why? Staying social matters for mental health, since many people with dementia feel isolated or lonely because of the condition. Social activities boost self-esteem, support communication, and help someone feel connected to their community.

Things to try:

• Joining a singing or music group through the Alzheimer's Society
• Joining an over-50s walking group
• Finding a local club, such as a book club
• Finding a local memory cafe to meet other people with dementia
• Using a computer to stay in touch with friends and family, with support from Action for Elders' digital inclusion programme
• Playing a board game, card game, or doing a jigsaw puzzle with friends or family

Reminiscence therapy

Why? A person with dementia may find it easier to recall things from years ago than recent memories. These memories can boost a sense of identity, offer comfort, and create chances to connect with friends and family.

Things to try:

• Visiting a place with fond memories, such as a favourite holiday destination or where you grew up
• Creating a memory box of photographs and mementos
• Creating a life story book to support future memories and conversations

Sensory activities

Why? For people with more advanced dementia, touch, sound and smell can help them remember and express emotions. A sensory experience can also help someone feel safe and comfortable, and engage with others.

Things to try:

• Complementary therapies like aromatherapy or hand massages
• Visiting a sensory garden with scented plants, textured sculptures and water features
• Creating a sensory box with objects to touch and interact with
• Playing favourite music, or music connected to a particular time in their life
• Pet therapy, such as spending time with a friend or neighbour's pet, or a trained therapy dog through an organisation like Pets as Therapy

Joanne's story: keeping her mum in her dancing shoes

Joanne's mum, Patricia, has mild dementia, and that hasn't stopped her enjoying life. Patricia's live-in carer, Rose, has taken the time to learn what makes her tick, from trips to her old singing group to looking after her cat, Adele. Rose lets Patricia do what she still can, like helping to make tea, so she stays involved and keeps a sense of control.

"If my mum is happy, the rest of the family are happy too", says Joanne.

For families worried about keeping a loved one engaged and happy at home, Joanne's story shows how the right support can help someone keep doing what they love.

Read Joanne's full story

Support if dementia is affecting your family

It can help to know what support is available. A carer who moves in can help your loved one stay at home, safe and supported, with the routines they already know. Our guide to dementia care covers your options, including live-in care.

If you’re wondering whether your loved one needs this kind of support day to day, our care advisors are happy to talk it through with you, whatever stage they’re at.