If you have a senior loved one who suffers from dementia, it is important to create a comforting and stimulating home environment for them and build a personal connection. Engaging them in fun activities that are appropriate for their condition can help reignite joy, provide cognitive stimulation, and help with their tranquility. Whether you are using crafts, sensory experiences, and activities with technology, they can cater to the needs of a specific dementia patient right at home.

Here are some activities that you can do with seniors with dementia:

Creative Activities for Seniors with Dementia

It is important to keep dementia patients engaged with activities that are related to their past interests or talents. Try to gain a deeper understanding of the hobbies and strengths your loved one has shown in the past so you can choose activities that are engaging for them. Here are some activities you can try with your loved one suffering from dementia to stir up their old passions and talents:

Try using sounds:

Music stimulates memories for those suffering from dementia and can help with creativity. Listening to music and singing their favorite songs creates a positive experience.

Encourage them to use visual expression:

It is great to have seniors with dementia use painting and drawing to express themselves. Using bold, bright colors and surfaces should be encouraged. You can also use rolls of butcher paper, so they have a lot of space to create. This can be fun and therapeutic for them, and it promotes emotional expression.

Use sensory crafts:

A great way to engage your senior loved one is to use activities that involve many textures, such as clay for example. You can also explore materials of different shapes and sizes.

Create a collage:

You can use old newspapers and magazines to create collages related to your interests such as fashion, cooking, etc. You can also scan and print old family pictures. They can arrange and re-arrange the pictures and different elements to encourage creativity.

Reminisce Activities to Engage Seniors with Dementia

Another way to engage your senior loved one with dementia is to use reminiscence activities. Reminiscence therapy is a great way to help your loved one recall old memories and help with exercising their cognitive abilities. This activity uses sensory and visual cues to help guide seniors through their past, and it can be comforting.

They can remember the past via movies and shows:

You can arrange a movie night and use a movie from a genre they may like such as Westerns, romance etc. This will provide entertainment as well as memory stimulation.

They can listen and sing to music:

Music can help awaken the brain. Play memorable songs for them to sing along. This can help them recall old memories.

Look at photo albums:

This activity can help stir up memories about people and events from their past. You can also create virtual memory books to make this more interactive.

Go back in time:

Before modern shopping, there were catalogs and magazines that informed us about trends. Try to find magazines that they used to enjoy which can help them reminisce, and flipping through them and reading what they are interested in can be engaging.

Fulfilling Activities for Those with Dementia

It is important to engage dementia patients with fulfilling activities at home so they can feel like they are contributing, and this can also help with their sense of self-worth by making them feel like they have accomplished something. Make sure to choose activities that are appropriate for their specific cognitive level so they can feel engaged and productive but not overwhelmed. Here are some activities to try:

Folding laundry:

This can be a calming activity for seniors with dementia and can also evoke comforting memories. You should start with simple items such as hand towels and T-shirts.

Try to engage them in handy activities:

If they used to enjoy DIY projects, try to find something for them to do where they can see visible results. For example, they can paint wooden boards, assemble PVC pipes, etc.

Untying knots:

This is a great activity to keep them engaged. You can take a rope and tie loose knots and give it to them to untie. Untying the rope can provide cognitive and physical stimulation without causing frustration.

Do puzzles:

Large-piece puzzles are best for seniors with dementia as they can be beneficial for their entertainment and cognition.

Play games:

You can engage your senior loved one by playing games such as Battleship or Guess Who? to help stimulate memories and use cognitive skills. These games are a great way to engage them and avoid confusion and frustration.

Sensory Activities for Those with Dementia

When your loved one’s senses are invigorated, it can help them remember some old memories and live a more engaged and fulfilling life.

Using the sense of smell:

Smells can help trigger old memories within the brain. If you provide your loved one with familiar smells such as warm bread or fresh cut grass, it can help awaken happy memories. Also, try to avoid smells that can be upsetting, such as fuel for example.

Touching objects:

Sometimes it can be helpful to engage your loved one by having them touch a familiar object such as beads or yarn for example to help trigger memories.

Taste memories:

Taste can help trigger happy memories. If there is a specific pastry, meal, or something similar that you can make them, it can help them recall happy memories associated with that treat.

Feel different textures:

Feeling different textures can be a fulfilling dementia activity that helps with sensory stimulation and memory. You can use soft animal fur, damp soil, and even leaves.

Technology-Based Dementia Activities for Seniors

A great way to engage your senior loved one with dementia is to use technology to do home-based activities. These activities can provide mental stimulation and bring them joy and emotional calmness, which makes these moments meaningful. Here are some ways you can use technology to engage your senior loved one at home:

Discover nature and art through live cams:

You can connect to nature preserves, museums, and even zoos via live internet streams. Whether your loved one likes animals or art, they can experience it via these streaming live cams right at home.

Use Google Earth:

This is a great exploration tool if you’d like to see images from all over the world. Engage them in different places they would like to experience and explore via this tool.

Create a family video tablet:

Video calls and chats can help your loved ones feel connected and give them comfort when you are unable to see them in person. You can also create videos of family members and even pets to help them feel calm.

Tips for Doing Activities with Dementia Patients

When you are choosing different activities for your senior loved one with dementia, make sure to choose those that are interesting to them and cater to their ability, interests, and progression of their condition. You should choose simple, enjoyable, and familiar activities to alleviate frustration and anxiety.

Mild (early-stage) dementia activities:

Since these individuals still have their independence and cognitive abilities, but they have trouble remembering events or doing complex tasks, the best activities for them would be puzzles, gardening, cooking, baking, or attending social events. Also, learning new simple skills is a great way to engage them.

Moderate (middle-stage) dementia activities:

At this stage of dementia, individuals have trouble recognizing familiar places and people and they may struggle with tasks that have multiple steps. Activities with these individuals should be broken down into simple steps. The best activities would include craft projects, painting, and scrapbooking. You can also use music, such as singing old songs or listening to your favorite music. Short walks, simple chores, and assisting with cooking can also be great choices.

Severe (late-stage) dementia activities:

For later-stage dementia, individuals have significant memory loss and may have a tough time with communication or recognizing loved ones. Great activities for this stage include listening to music, looking at family photos, and enjoying the outdoors safely.

Please keep in mind that the experience of every individual with dementia is different and finding activities for them to enjoy needs to include their interests and hobbies while taking into consideration their abilities. All in all, it is supposed to help them be comfortable, stimulate the senses, and allow for an opportunity for meaningful engagement.

If you need in-home care and dementia care services for seniors, call Assisting Hands Home Care today at (954) 859-2271. We serve seniors in Broward County, Florida and the surrounding areas.