“I can’t play the guitar anymore because of arthritis.”
I played guitar for over 40 years, then I fell iff a ladder, shatterd my fretting hand wrist and my guitar playing dexterity and flexibility are greatly diminished. I probably will never be fully restored. But I found that I can play a 5-string or 4 string banjo or a bass guitar or a baritone ukulele, which is tuned to the high 4 strings on a guitar I can relate to every position on the neck after playing guitar for so long.
Even if my capabilities had been reduced to playing one finger on an electronic child keyboard toy. I would probably be playing that if it was my only option. There’s something about musicians that they will go find something to make music on if they absolutely have to.
Here is a video of several of the players in our dulcimer group. Most of us have a background in other instruments. So with some tunes they will pull out their old instrument, like in this example a uke and a flute. Then there is Cindy who plays the standup base all the time. She keeps the “beat” for us. Apple Pan Dowdy is the blond with a white shirt, lime green jacket and black scarf. https://youtu.be/mG0SBGnohaY