Keep a sense of purpose
What if I live alone?
Many people living with dementia live alone. Sometimes, resources for people with dementia assume that everyone has a carer. Our involvement group felt that keeping a sense of purpose is different if you live alone and this resource is where we try to provide for that experience.
On this page you will:
- hear a conversation about our research and the realities of living alone with dementia
- get Jackie’s top tips for keeping a sense of purpose if you live alone
- hear a conversation about our research and the realities of loneliness
I live alone and I don’t need people around me. I am quite happy in my own company and I’ve always lived quite a solitary life. I do have neighbours and people in the community I could contact if I was in need of help. I keep my mind active with lots of reading and I do puzzles on the internet, so I think I’m coping well with my Alzheimer’s.
A person with dementia talking to our researchers
A conversation about living alone
In this video, Professor Linda Clare, Principal Investigator of the IDEAL research programme, talks to Wendy, who lives alone with dementia. In this conversation they cover:
- the importance of two-way processes and honest conversations so that everyone in your family and network is on the same page
- the role communities play in the lives of people with dementia
- advice for how health and social care professionals can help people who live alone with dementia
Click on the image below to watch the video.
Top tips for remaining purposeful if you live alone
Jackie Pool is QCS Dementia Care Champion and an experienced Occupational Therapist. These are her top tips for keeping a sense of purpose if you live alone.
- Use a calendar, a diary or a list to plan your days. Include relaxation time, favourite TV or radio shows as well as chores, meals, appointments, hobbies and interests.
- Set up different activity ‘stations’ at different places in your home or care home room, so that you move around and have a sense of progression through your day.
- Ensure that you have something each day that stimulates your mind, body and spirit.
To hear Jackie talk through these tips, watch the video below:
Click on the image below to watch the video.
How do loneliness and isolation affect people with dementia and carers?
In the video below, Professor Christina Victor (Brunel University) speaks to David (an experienced carer). They discuss our research findings on loneliness and isolation, and compare them to David’s own experiences.
Among the topics they cover are:
- how geography and lay-out affect loneliness
- the importance of staying connected to combat feelings of isolation
- how loneliness is a natural emotion and part of being human
Click on the image below to watch the video.
If you would like to read more about the research:
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What if I live alone?
You can print a paper version of this resource by clicking the button below.
