Get ready to SOAR! Hikes for people living with younger onset dementia

We've started another year of outdoor adventure for individuals diagnosed with dementia before age 65, through a unique program called SOAR. The name is an acronym for Shared Outdoor Adventures for Resilience.

Offered by the UW Medicine Memory and Brain Wellness Center, SOAR features free monthly hikes in the Puget Sound area for small groups of people with younger-onset dementia. Each participant brings along a family member or friend. The goal is to provide social connection, nature engagement, and physical activity, tailored toward the abilities of this younger population.  

A lifelong recreation specialist from Seattle Parks and Recreation leads the hikes and provides optional van transportation. Hikes range from 2-3 miles. The type of terrain varies among the different hikes to provide a challenge but still be accessible to a wide range of participants. The SOAR program runs for a year and will conclude with a retreat at Seattle’s Golden Gardens in June 2027.

While around 10% of people with Alzheimer’s are diagnosed before age 65, most support services are geared toward people at a different stage of life. As a result, younger people navigating Alzheimer’s can feel isolated and alone. SOAR aims to change that.

“At the UW Memory and Brain Wellness Center, we’ve consistently seen a huge demand for programming tailored to the strengths of younger people living with dementia. These requests include opportunities for physical activity that better meet their needs,” said program co-lead Marigrace Becker, program manager for Community Education and Impact at the Memory and Brain Wellness Center. “We’re excited to launch another year of the SOAR program to support families in this region.”

This will be the fourth year of the program, and participants regularly comment on the value it provides.  

Notes one care partner, “This is an exceptional offering for younger-onset Alzheimer's participants. Physical activity and interaction with others are a great outlet for escaping the challenges the disease brings.”

For many, the community extends beyond the monthly hikes: “We most enjoy the community and what connections with other people can enable,” notes another care partner. “We have established ongoing positive relationships with people we have met through SOAR.”

In offering SOAR, the Memory and Brain Wellness Center works closely with Seattle Parks and Recreation, known for being the first parks and recreation department in the nation to launch a specialized dementia-friendly recreation program in 2014.  

Interested? Participants must register in advance for each hike. These easy-to-moderate hikes are a good fit for individuals who can walk at a pace of 2 mph without needing to sit. Participants can meet at the site or receive free van transportation from Jefferson Community Center in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood, 3801 Beacon Ave S. 

Details: Find more information, along with registration links, at the program site: Shared Outdoor Adventures for Resilience.