Life is a little hard for older people either living with you or living in elderly care services in the U.K.
Especially elder people diagnosed with Dementia or Alzheimer’s have a hard time managing everyday activities. At times, they feel stressed out because of boredom or having no activity schedule at all. That is why it is essential to design an activity schedule that will keep them busy and happy all the time.
Why is it important to keep them engaged?
Keeping them engaged is crucial because if they feel like doing important things, they will be happy and somehow content with themselves.
Many studies have suggested that if elder people are satisfied with small activities, it can reduce anxiety, depression, and agitation in them.
Being happy also means that they don’t need to use the sedative more often. But if they are not engaged in any activity, they might burst out with negativity, and this would be bad.
Here in this article, we will be discussing 10 no-fail activities for dementia patients that can be used in all sorts of elderly care service centers.
Before we mention the 10 activities for dementia patients, you need to understand a few basic things.
- As people grow older, they tend to become slow in all kinds of activities so don’t expect them to manage the tasks quickly. Let them have all the time to figure out things on their own
- Patients with dementia can withdraw from social activities, especially the events that are stimulating. So, it is possible that some elders don’t like the activities you suggest. Know that each person is different, and it may take a while before they open up to your activities
- Every patient has some triggers, and some activities might be offensive for them so make sure you don’t involve them with things that could be dangerous for them or offend them in any possible way
Now coming back to the 10 No-Fail activities for dementia patients, you need to be sure to have dementia patients accommodated first. It could be any elder care services in the U.K or your home. Also, these activities have proved to be useful for all stages of dementia.
1- Jigsaw puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles are an easy but curious game for elder people. As they have to think before completing them, the games can keep them busy most of the time and boost their problem-solving ability. When they are able to solve the jigsaw puzzles, they also feel confident about themselves.
2- Crosswords
Many elders love crosswords. This kind of activity can help the patients to stay focused and build their problem-solving skills. You can easily find crossword games online for your elderly patients. This activity can be done alone as well as with other people.
3- Computer games
Jigsaw puzzles and crosswords are not the only games you can find online. There are plenty of other games that are very interesting and loved by many elders. You can allow your elders to play games such as candy crush, bubble shooter, and other easy games to keep them engaged and entertained at the same time.
4- Drawing
Some patients really have an artistic gift to draw sketches and pictures that capture everyone’s attention. It can always work in their favor. Instead of keeping them in front of the computer, try giving them coloring books or a board and colors to do paintings.
Drawing can keep the mind occupied and it is a great way to let out the emotions one is feeling. So, for some dementia patients, it can be really helpful.
5- Humor
When you have been taking care of an elderly person, you would know that they are sad most of the time. And with dementia, it can be difficult to handle such a situation. But humor can cheer them up.
In fact, it is recommended that caregivers must have some jokes ready for their patients because this way you can lift their mood. If you know some jokes or have the talent to make things funny, good, otherwise, find some jokes through the internet and share them with your dementia patients.
Pro tip: As your patients have dementia, they might not remember your jokes, so you can use the same joke many times.
6- Card games
Since dementia can make people forget most of the time and only remember a few things, it would be nice to play Card matching games. It is kind of therapeutic for them to find the matching cards. The card could contain images of birds, flowers, and pictures of your loved ones. It can flex the memory of the patient and help them spend a few hours in a fun way.
7- Musical Chairs
Patients can get bored sitting in their own rooms. What else could be a safe and fun activity other than having a musical chair in the hall? You will have to gather more than two people for a musical chair, though.
It is mostly done in elderly care centers, but it would be good if you can involve other family members. This is a great exercising activity because this way patients get to move and do a little bit of physical activity.
8- Dancing
Who doesn’t love music? Everyone does. Music has a lot of impact on people. It could be fun to play music and let your elderly patients dance through the bit.
Again, it could be fun, and patients get to do some physical exercise. However, you should be careful that they don’t hurt themselves while dancing. Supervision is necessary for such physical activities.
Dancing can relieve stress and allow the patients to feel happy about themselves.
9- Yoga
Some dementia patients take their physical fitness seriously. Yoga can help such patients stay healthy by flexing muscles smoothly at their age.
10- Walk through the garden
Another no-fail activity for dementia patients is a walk through the garden. Nature has a way of calmness, and it would be a delight to walk through the garden and spend some time there.
