Nature Connections Activity Sessions – outdoor physical activities for people affected by dementia
Lunchtime Sessions 1
17 November, 2026 1:20 – 2:05 pmElectronic Posters
Jane Ward
Charity Lead
Dementia Friendly Hampshire
Summary
It is vitally important that we all continue taking part in physical activities as we get older, and a diagnosis of dementia doesn’t change that although often a diagnosis leads to both the person with dementia and their carer becoming much less active. Research also shows that meaningful activity and connection with the natural environment can have a positive effect on the health and wellbeing of people affected by dementia. Our project creates opportunities for people affected by dementia to enjoy physical activities in blue/green spaces across Hampshire.
A Carers UK study found carers aged over 55 are less active than other adults aged over 55, but 76% of carers responding felt they were unable to do as much physical exercise as they’d like to do. For many carers this is strongly linked to a lack of having good quality replacement care when their loved one is unable to join them in an exercise session. For those carers who are able to be active, physical activity offers a lifeline, a chance to de-stress and a vital opportunity to escape from day to day caring. We provide opportunities for people with dementia and their carers to continue enjoying exercise together. Our sessions are also open to people with dementia who attend with a paid companion or domiciliary carer.
A major barrier for people affected by dementia to stay active, particularly via outdoor activities if lack of carers confidence. Research shows that only 20% of people with dementia believe that their dementia is a barrier to taking part in outdoor activities, while 83% of carers believe it is and are often risk averse. Carers need information, skills and confidence to support their loved ones to enjoy meaningful outdoor activity. Within our sessions we are able to gently mentor carers to create changes in attitude around risk.
We run regular sessions which include group walks and we add elements such as bird and butterfly watching, and explore the environment around us learning about trees, flowers and fungi. We also support people to engage with accessible activity sessions such as cycling and sailing. We ensure all of our sessions also include a social component to enable participants to create new friendship networks with people who have similar interests to them.
This session will provide an overview of the project. We will look at how we manage risk for the different activities we run including the dynamic risk assessment we use at the beginning of each session. We will consider the information we should provide to carers before sessions and the equipment we can use to ensure everyone stays as dry/warm/cool as possible depending upon weather conditions.