Sports and dementia

Millions of people have supported one team or another, in our vast array of sports within the UK, and around the world, yet when dementia comes along, we sometimes get forgotten, because people including the Governing Bodies of the sports associations, simply do not want to get involved.

These days we are seeing more and more people being diagnosed as having one form or another of dementia and neurological illnesses, and many of these support or follow their local sports teams whether that is rugby, football, cricket or one of the many other sports these days. 

But just how many football, cricket or rugby clubs, do anything to encourage people with dementia to visit their games. 

Many may feel intimidated, by the sheer numbers of people around them, or the size of the building, so they perhaps don't attend games.

To me this is a great shame as watching the television,  does not give you the same atmosphere as being at the real game. 

It may well be more comfortable sitting at home in an armchair rather than a hard plastic seat, but it's not the same.

Many people with wheel chairs etc are given preferential treatment which is lovely, but in this day and age they should be thinking of everyone with a disability. I know that many people with dementia etc do not see themselves as disabled, but in many ways they have major problems trying to keep up with modern day life and all it throws at us, usually at a very fast pace.

I do think that people with dementia should also be given support and help to go to these games.

I think that the main problem is that the Governing Bodies of sport do not even think of people with dementia in the first place, so it goes no further. 

In the North East alone we have Newcastle United, Sunderland, Newcastle Falcons rugby, along with Durham County Cricket club,  to name just a few, and I would like to see them all embrace dementia in the future.

Let us hope that sport venues, try to help people with dementia and other nuerological illnesses to become more active and more involved with their local teams.

Many of these sporting venues are worth millions if not billions of pounds, so surely they could spend a little money and time by encouraging and helping people with dementia and other nuerological illnesses to become more involved. 

At the end of the day, it helps us to remain active and part of the community.