Dementia is a debilitating illness that profoundly affects a senior’s physical, mental, and social aspects. For starters, the disease affects one’s memory and other cognitive skills, making it difficult to go back to their favorite hobbies. As the symptoms get severe, seniors would tend to withdraw from social interactions and even the activities they once loved.
But like all adults aged 65 and up, seniors living in memory care in Clinton Township still need to participate in engaging activities that can enrich their lives.
Just remember that there are some important considerations for choosing what activities to introduce to your senior loved ones. This includes the following:
- Consider your loved one’s abilities and skills by picking an activity that will help them build it.
- Make sure the activity is easily understandable, and as much as possible, failure-free. Focus on enjoyment rather than achievement.
- Choose a hobby that they liked before their dementia started, as it might bring more joy than a new activity they know nothing about.
- Let them try new hobbies if they like, but keep an eye on how the activity impacts them. Do they always seem frustrated by it? Or are they happy and in a good mood after the particular activity?
Now that you have a clear idea of how to decide on an activity, let’s move on to the actual activities that your loved one might find enjoyable and fulfilling. Here are seven fun activities to try out!
1. Painting and Drawing
Art has been used as a therapeutic tool for patients with dementia, specifically painting and drawing. The act of freely using the brush or pencil without thinking about whether or not you are doing it correctly has a calming effect on the human mind.
There are no rules and no limits; just your loved one, their medium of choice, and their vast imagination. Additionally, it also allows older adults to freely express themselves and even use it as a tool to communicate. Plus, these hobbies only require basic supplies that you can easily find in their memory care in Clinton Township.
Just make sure to only recommend this activity to a senior loved one who has no physical problems using their hands.
2. Collaging
Older adults with limited hand mobility can still pursue art as a hobby through collaging. Creating a collage involves arranging bits and pieces of cutouts made from different art materials onto a board to make a specific shape or image.
Like any art project, there really are no rules for collage making, which makes it a perfect activity for seniors with dementia. Some of its overall benefits include:
- Being able to mentally stimulate the brain by encouraging decision-making skills (e.g., make specific preferences over what materials and pre-cut shapes to use).
- Encouraging creativity and independence.
- Practicing motor skills and hand dexterity.
- Inducing a sense of fulfillment.
Collaging being an extremely enjoyable activity is just a bonus benefit!
3. Gardening or Flower Arranging
Being out in the fresh air and surrounded by the beauty of nature has plenty of benefits for seniors. Add to that the low-impact exercise they can get by tending to their garden outdoors, and you now have the perfect hobby for your senior loved one!
Gardening is a very versatile activity that any senior can do regardless of their physical limitations caused by dementia. Even the simplest act of burying a seed in a container of soil can have a rewarding feeling for your loved one.
If you think gardening is a tedious endeavor for them, then you can let them arrange flowers instead.
4. Doing Household Chores
Another simple yet highly fulfilling activity for seniors with dementia is contributing to household chores. The repetitive motion involved in cleaning can help relax their mind while also stimulating it and their physical body. Some simple tasks you can let them take part in include:
- Folding their clothes or separating the colored from the white garments before laundry.
- Organizing their sock drawer or cleaning their nightstand.
- Sweeping the floor or dusting the cabinets.
- Helping in preparing the meals or setting the table.
Caregivers in memory care in Clinton Township can also do this activity if their seniors loved cleaning or taking charge of household chores before dementia.
5. Nature Walk
Walking amid the incredible nature is a simple yet meaningful activity that family members can do with their senior loved ones with dementia. It allows both to spend time with each other while getting their much-needed vitamin D from the sun.
Additionally, it can be an excellent way for your senior adult to stay active and have a change of scenery once in a while. You can do this at your loved one’s favorite walking trail may it be in the park or just around the neighborhood.
6. Playing Simple Games
Simple Bingo or matching games bring fun to the table and plenty of cognitive benefits to seniors with dementia. For one, games like jigsaw puzzles and crosswords stimulate the brain, specifically the memory and thinking skills of older adults.
Furthermore, these simple games allow your loved one to interact with other people and foster healthy relationships in the process. Some game ideas you can try include:
- Card games like Go Fish
- Matching game using dominos or a deck of cards.
- Snakes and Ladders or Scrabble
- Word search puzzles or tic-tac-toe
- Simple computer games
Just make sure to tell your loved one that there is no wrong way to play any game; all they have to do is enjoy and have fun!
7. Listening, Singing, or Dancing to the Music
You can never go wrong with music, especially if your senior loved one is a big fan of it! You can both sing along to their favorite song or play an upbeat one that they can dance to. You can also play calming ones before nighttime or while both of you are busy doing chores and other activities.
Even the best memory care in Clinton Township uses music to relax the residents and also during reminiscence activities.
