Activities for Dementia Patients

For people with dementia, boredom brings about agitation, restlessness, and confusion, which is especially prominent in the evenings. By engaging in activities like hobbies, passions and interests, older adults can stay busy and promote communication and lift their spirits.

When looking to create activities for your senior loved ones that work with their limitations due to dementia, focus on their strengths and abilities. This can give them a sense of structure to their time, and by using their hands and mind to perform tasks, it can have a positive impact on their cognitive, physical, and emotional health.

Many healthcare professionals prioritize music for their dementia patients. Memories that are attached to music have incredible staying power in the brain and can become an important and useful tool for expression in the event that communication becomes difficult. Listening to and performing music can also decrease depression and anxiety, support cognition, and improve well-being overall.

By singing or playing or listening to familiar songs, and letting your senior loved one take the lead, you can have a positive impact on their well-being. Try providing them with headphones and a device that they can use to access a playlist featuring their favorite songs, and you might find that it both increases joy and promotes their independence.

Many older adults have skills or experience with using tools or making small repairs. While they may not be as dexterous as they once were, they may still be able to find fulfillment in small, simple hands-on projects, suited to their abilities. Things like simple birdhouses, scale model kits, and similar things may be ideal activities for seniors in both the early and middle stages of dementia.

Many older adults enjoy sharing stories from the past and talking about their life and experiences, and those with dementia are no different. Ask them to open up an album of their photos, show you their trinkets or keepsakes, and encourage them to tell you all about them. While you may assume that this is a rather passive activity, studies have shown that engaging the long-term memory is not only therapeutic but will help the person tapping into it to feel empowered, peaceful, and important. By prompting them to tell their stories and allowing them to guide the conversation, they can look back through their own history and experience the emotions they felt at the time all over again.

While it may seem menial and unimportant, small household tasks and chores like cleaning, dusting, organizing, tidying, and other simple things are not only rewarding and help to ensure a safe and clean home, the ways in which they stimulate the mind can be excellent for those with dementia. People who are suffering from dementia have difficulty with uncertainty and love to be able to know what to anticipate. By including these small household activities in your daily routine, you can give them structure and prevent idleness. Try fitting them into existing activities, for example after meals or medication. By knowing what they will be engaged in through the day, it can reduce agitation and outbursts, as well as give them a sense of accomplishment and control.

Need help with providing activities for Dementia at home? Senior Helpers of Gilbert & Chandler can help with activities for your loved one. We specialize in dementia care. If you reside in Gilbert, Chandler, Sun Lakes, Ocotillo, Casa Grande, or Maricopa we can assist you. Our team of professionals is here to create interactive activities to keep a positive and engaging care. Contact us today and let work together to make a difference in dementia care.