Every time I play golf with a client I try and imagine what it must be like to play the game with dementia.
Continuous problems with balance, co-ordination, concentration and memory must make golf virtually impossible to play.
Imagine an artificial weight on one side of your body that interferes with your natural balance, vision and spatial awareness .Imagine forgetting every few seconds where you’ve put your ball, your tee peg or your golf glove. Imagine the frustration, agitation and upset this causes.
So how come my golf clients had 3 birdies in 9 holes in last week?
Well, during the past eight months I’ve spent time closely observing the behaviour and performance of my dementia clients as they’ve played golf with me. I’ve tried to put myself inside their minds to get a better understanding of the challenges they face when trying to play the game.
Gaining this intimate insight into my clients behaviour and how dementia has affected their physical and emotional wellbeing, has allowed me to tailor the support and care to meet the specific needs of each individual.
Spending the time to personalise the support is the reason my clients are having such a great time playing golf – achieving so much – even with the handicap of dementia.
This is why they can score 3 birdies in 9 holes – and have so much fun doing it!!
