Great Activities For People With Dementia

None of us want to just sit and stare all the time, that’s why it’s important for seniors with dementia to have activities throughout the day that they can enjoy, be kept busy with and feel successful with…just like you and I do. But many of the activities that we are engaged in are difficult for them to do, and can lead to frustration. And, if they can be focused on doing something they can do and enjoy, depression, anxiety, irritation and agitation can be reduced. So it’s important to have a plan, with activities that will fit the needs and capabilities of your senior.

Many of the activities for seniors with dementia require you to be involved with them…and that’s good and okay, interacting with the people they love gives them great satisfaction. But there are times during the day when it would be great to have things for them to do by themselves, so you can do some things you need to do or just enjoy doing for yourself.

Which is why we’ve compiled a list of things to have in your “bag of tricks”. Just remember, each person is at a different stage of dementia, so choose the things that will work for them, which means you might have to experiment a bit to find just the right activities.

 Fun and Productive Activities for Seniors With Dementia

• Puzzles can be a lot of fun,and can be done individually or together. But if they are to be done individually, you have to choose puzzles that he/she is capable of doing by himself. The puzzles can range anywhere from 6 pieces to a little more complicated if he is going to be doing them by himself. If you want to make it an activity that you do together, you can have a little more complicated puzzle and ask your senior to pick out specific colored pieces, such as “you find all the green ones”.
• Coloring is also a great activity that he can do alone, or sometimes you might want to sit down and color with him. There are all kinds of coloring materials available, from simple pictures to more complicated ones.
  • You might consider getting a small lap desk so he can sit and color wherever he is comfortable.
• Cutting pictures from magazines or old calendars, (use round tipped scissors), can be a great pastime, and can actually lead to another activity. Have him find pictures of things he likes, and cut them out, then another time, he could take those pictures and using a glue stick, he could glue them into a notebook, and make a collection to look at whenever he wants to.
• Let him help you around the house with simple chores such as folding the laundry (washcloths and towels), or matching the socks. I’m sure you can think of other simple chores that would be appropriate for your senior, like sweeping the floor or setting the table for dinner. These tasks may not be done perfectly, but he will not only be engaged and busy, but he will also feel needed, and they are things he can do on his own.
• Using several colorful, inexpensive, cleaning sponges, cut them into about one to half inch strips, and let him stack them, and make towers out of them…it can be a different stack everytime, you can suggest he make different patterns with the colors, it can become an addictive activity.
• Create a memory box of things, keepsakes and pictures that he can rummage through whenever he wants to. Be sure to choose items that will spark a good memory.
• If his dexterity is good enough you can let him thread pasta (preferably with large openings) with yarn that has tape wrapped around the end as a “makeshift needle.”

These are just a few ideas that might spark some ideas of your own to entertain and interest your senior. Just remember to pay attention to their level of frustration or enjoyment, each time you try something new.

We are Certified Senior Move Managers recognized by our National Association of Senior Move Managers, NASSM! We are committed to serving our seniors with a high standard of ethics, best business practices and continuing education to help make whatever transition they are going through a Smooth Transition.

Contact us to learn how we can help you and/or your family cope with a senior downsizing anywhere in the Phoenix East Valley area.

We would love to serve you. 480-339-0011