Sir Alex Ferguson: His brother, memory, and the fight against dementia

Legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has spoken to the BBC about what he has been doing in retirement.

Idman.biz reports that Ferguson is an ambassador for Playlist for Life, a music therapy program for people with Alzheimer's disease, as his brother Martin has been diagnosed with the disease.

"I've always loved singing; even if I'm not sure others enjoy it, singing is part of who I am. When I came to Carrington, the staff knew I was there from my singing. I don't think they enjoyed it; I'm afraid they whispered, 'Here he comes, close all the doors!'," Ferguson said.

The role of music in the lives of people with dementia

He noted that he himself had doubts about dementia: "That's why it sparked my interest and I became more involved in various programs. Music plays an important role in the lives of people with dementia, so it's important to continue it. You don't have to be a musician to participate.

My brother suffers from the disease and of course it is not easy. We communicate regularly, he recognizes me, but he has memory problems. However, it is not getting worse and that is very encouraging.

Am I afraid of getting sick too? Yes, because we are brothers and I am only a year older than him. I only have one brother and he is very important to me. He is always on my mind.

I tell him to 'write, write everything down.' I think he tries to, but often forgets. At my age, you start to worry a little about what your memory will be like."

"The American Civil War captivates me"

The ex-coach spoke about his own memory problems: "I'll be 84 in December and there are times when I forget things, but I think it was like that 20-30 years ago... no one has a perfect memory. But when it comes to football, memory has always been important to me as a coach. Now I do crossword puzzles constantly, read a lot of songs and books."

Ferguson said he is a fan of history: "The American Civil War in particular captivates me. I have been to several battlefields in America and I really liked them.

After my wife passed away, I spent a lot of time at home. I moved closer to my son in the countryside, but I can't sit in front of the TV all day, so I decided to travel. I have been to Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Bahrain.

Communicating with people with dementia has also been helpful. I like it."

Idman.biz