Keeping seniors with dementia engaged! Stimulating dementia activities to try with your loved one

Staying active and keeping your elderly engaged is beneficial for both physical and mental health, and therefore it is imperative to engage in some form of activity with elderly.. Certain activities have proved particularly useful for those with dementia, such as games, risk- free household work,  outdoor activities, music and art. One thing that we need to ensure is that all the activities should be failure-free. Like all of us, they still have the need to feel successful. We have also experienced that if an elderly is happily engaged in an activity it reduces agitation & anger and calms their anxious nerves and aggressive behaviour.

Regardless of the stages of dementia, there are several everyday activities that one can do with their ageing loved ones. These can be very attractive and encouraging for elderly. 

We should carefully choose the activities and it should aim to:

• Stir memories and allow them to reminisce about their life
• Foster emotional connections with others – contact with others is vital
• Encourage self-expression
• Make them feel more engaged with life
• Help them feel productive

Important note: We need to ensure that no sharp objects are around your elderly loved one. There is a possibility that they put things in their mouth, try to bite or hide things. Avoid small things. 

1. Physical activities and exercises

Exercises and physical activity can have many advantages for dementia patients. It can help to regulate their sleep and prevent restlessness at night. It can also help maintain a good mood and reduce the risk of depression. A walk around their neighbourhood or at a park should be very much in their daily routine. Going out to temples, restaurants, and cafes should be occasionally planned as per their lifestyle. 

2. Go down memory lane.

Elderly with dementia have their long term memory intact for a longer period of time. Creating a box full of their memorable things & engaging them in discussions and activities has always been wonderful. We call it a “Memory Box”. This can be a mixture of things that they would have used at work, books & magazines, pictures of family & friends or a favorite celebrity, or things from hobbies. For example: We created a memory box for an aunty recently and it was such a pleasure to see her smile looking at her favourite hair-clip & an antique hand-mirror. It is calming and joyous to relive treasured moments and celebrate the memories that the elderly love.

You can make this process even more interesting by creating a new stock of memories not only for your loved one but for all the near and dear ones.

• Video record your loved one and discuss about their life,their childhood & their family, sing their favourite songs with them 
• Look through photos and make a photo album
• Watch family videos together, a relative’s wedding video might interest them!
• Ask them about their favourite memories around a particular topic, such as their favourite holiday or oldest friend
• You can even watch Youtube videos of their favourite singers or actors to facilitate this. This has numerous advantages, such as encouraging positive discussion and helping them reconnect and feel acknowledged.

3. Explore nature

The perfect place to see new things and get some fresh air is in the lap of nature, wherein you can plan many stimulating activities for the edlerly. If your ageing loved ones like greenery then this one could be especially good.

• Doing gardening together or a visit  to a botanical garden locally will be very encouraging to your loved one. 

• You can create a mini garden & a sitting arrangement in your garden. 

• Look at a nature documentary: TV can still offer some great opportunities to explore if the health of your love doesn’t allow you to go outdoors.

4. Explore their artistic side

Art and craft is an excellent way to explore the creative side of  your loved ones. For many, arts and crafts can provide a wide range of sensory stimulation even if they are not particularly artsy or creative.

The activities to be taken into account include:

• Painting
• Knitting
• Colouring

If your aging loved ones don’t seem interested in activities or look resistant to the action, take a break and try again later. You may also try something else or ask them about how you can make this activity more pleasant to them. You must also concentrate on the process of spending time with them, and not just the results – the most important thing is that your loved one is happy.

5. Folding Laundry

The safest & successful way to keep an elderly engaged is to ask them to help you fold laundry. This activity will make them feel like they are contributing to the daily routine of the household. 

Experiences shared by our carers suggest that it’s best to use hand towels as they are small and easily folded.One more addition to the activity is pairing socks. It does not matter how well the performance is, the point is to make them feel good about the activity. 

6. Playing cards

With our experience we can say that most of the seniors enjoy playing cards and spend a good amount of time in the activity especially when the letters and numbers are large and easily readable. However, in the advanced stages of dementia, they might only enjoy shuffling the cards or separating them by color or suit. 

While engaging the elderly in any activity, it is super important to be highly observant about their expressions and reactions. If they seem disinterested or frustrated, then you may have to remove some cards so that they do not have to manage so many.

7. Music therapy

Music plays an important role in soothing and stimulating people. We always suggest families to keep a pen drive attached to their loved one’s TV with a playlist of their favourite artist or genre. It helps them connect well to their past. Watching videos of their favourite movie star or favourite singer brightens up their mood. 

Example : Recently, we created a playlist of a few bhajans for an aunty. It’s been 15 days and she has started humming along the tunes. It’s such a pleasure to see her connect so well to music and yes her behaviour has improved. 

8. Peeling peas & segregating pulses

We usually suggest this activity to seniors who were majorly involved in managing the kitchen and cooking in their lives. Simple & safe activities like peeling the peas and segregating pulses while listening to their favourite music keeps them engaged for a long time. 

We at Senior Care Genie connect families with the right caregiver specially trained for dementia patients to assist them patiently and empathetically. Patience and alertness is the key to manage the care for seniors with dementia.