Walking and dementia

Many Walking for Health walks are short, flat and safe, and as such are suitable for people with dementia and their carers. Some schemes can also offer shorter or slower paced walk options. 

Before joining a walk, to make sure it is appropriate and to discuss any particular needs, it's always worth contacting the scheme. Scheme contact details can be found through our WalkFinder. 

Dementia-friendly walks

A small number of schemes run dementia-friendly walks that have been designed specifically to meet the needs of people with dementia and their carers. Generally, these walks will:

  • have volunteers who have attended dementia awareness training
  • have a higher volunteer to walker ratio to accommodate participants walking at different paces
  • be in an accessible location away from busy roads and over flat terrain with appropriate footpaths
  • incorporate a sensory aspect and additional time for participants to stop and take in their surroundings
  • be developed in partnership with a local service or organisation that supports people with dementia and their carers.

Many schemes across the country offer walks that can accomodate people with dementia, so please use the WalkFinder to find out about your local walks. We are also aware that the following schemes currently offer specific dementia-friendly walks - follow the links to find contact details on the page and ask for more information:

More information...

The following organisations provide additional information about dementia, as well as local services, networks and training: