Get ideas on activities that Alzheimer’s or dementia patients can enjoy at home. Caretakers can use these activities to keep their loved ones engaged and busy.
One of the most important things to consider when choosing activities for Alzheimer’s or dementia patients living at home is to match the activities to the person’s abilities. This means matching activities to the physical and cognitive level of people with Alzheimer’s or dementia, and to your loved one’s skills and abilities in particular. This matching is necessary to keep the person from becoming overwhelmed or frustrated if the activity is too difficult or virtually impossible. Remember that even things they used to excel at might become frustratingly difficult as their condition progresses.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease are not the same thing. Therefore, knowing what stage of Alzheimer’s someone is in is important when deciding on the appropriate activities for them. There are three different stages of Alzheimer’s disease that each include their own cognitive or physical limitations, including:
Understanding the stages of the disease and whether or not your loved one is also a dementia patient can help you match the type of activity to their ability level. Matching activities for Alzheimer’s patients should be evaluated by stage of disease, physical and cognitive functions, as well as disposition and outlook of the patient. If your loved one is prone to the irritability associated with Sundowner’s syndrome, for example, avoid starting activities late in the day.
Dementia is not a disease; it is a decline in cognitive function related to aging. Dementia can be caused by a number of conditions, the most common being Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s affects some aspects of brain function, like memory, verbal processing and motor skills/coordination. A person experiencing cognitive decline might have many of these functions intact but suffer from a diminishment of them.
"The biggest thing to remember with a person with dementia is that they're a person with dementia," explained Cameron Camp, Director and Senior Research Scientist, Menorah Park Center for Senior Living.
Depending on the severity of dementia, some brain functions might be compromised severely, or even absent. A person with Alzheimer’s disease still has a normal need for social inclusion and interaction, meaning, fulfillment, warmth, affection, health and serenity, love, and happiness.
Activities for such an individual then might overlap with those of fully healthy people. In other words, people with dementia should be respected and treated with the same esteem as any other person. They should not be related to in a patronizing or condescending manner, as if they are of less value than anyone else. Try to include them in activities that the whole family is taking part in, or giving them something similar to do if they can no longer follow a game or craft as precisely as the rest of the table or room.
Activities will not reverse Alzheimer’s, but they can alleviate depression and anxiety. People with Alzheimer’s may be socially isolated, and social isolation can also contribute to depression.
In fact, research has shown that chronic social isolation is associated with premature death. Other research has shown that loneliness could reduce the functioning of the immune system. For these reasons, it can be very beneficial for a person living at home with Alzheimer’s to have regular social interaction, like having visitors that are known or very familiar come over on a regular basis.
It is also helpful if visitors are informed about how to relate to someone living with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, so they are not insensitive and can be more understanding. Senior life can be difficult enough, even without social isolation or a lack of compassion.
Here are four recommended types of activities that have shown positive results and impact for individuals with Alzheimer’s or dementia:
Based on these activity groups, here’s a list of 13 activities for people with Alzheimer’s or dementia, with more information on each activity below:
If your family decides it's time for the next step in providing dementia care for an aging loved one, memory care facilities or assisted living communities near you may be a great option to provide a safe, comfortable aging environment. Memory care communities are designed to support those with cognitive impairment by providing trained caregivers and offering activities that support sensory stimulation to improve overall health and well-being.
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