Planning Activities for Loved Ones with Dementia

Photo from here

   

Planning and doing activities with a loved one who has dementia can provide meaning and encouragement to both the memory-impaired individual and his/her caregiver. Finding activities that are well-suited for your loved one can be challenging but it is rewarding when you have a positive experience. The Alzheimer's Association has provided tips and guidelines in their online brochure, "Activities at Home." You can read the whole brochure by following this link.

Some helpful information that has been pulled from this brochure includes:

 

Effective activities:

• Bring meaning, purpose, joy and hope to the

person’s life

• Use the person’s skills and abilities

• Give the person a sense of normalcy

• Involve family and friends

• Are dignified and appropriate for adults

• Are enjoyable

10 quick tips for activities at home

1. Be flexible and patient
2. Encourage involvement in daily life
3. Avoid correcting the person
4. Help the person remain as independent as possible
5. Offer opportunities for choice
6. Simplify instructions
7. Establish a familiar routine
8. Respond to the person’s feelings
9. Simplify, structure and supervise
10. Provide encouragement and praise

 

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Bird Feeder Activity

It can be relaxing and enjoyable to observe nature. Bird watching is an activity that almost anyone can do. The following is a simple, affordable and effective way you and your loved one can make a bird feeder. Young family members would also enjoy doing this and learn about nature by doing so.

Materials for this project include:

• A large open pine cone
• Peanut butter
• String
• Birdseed
• Resealable plastic bag

To make the bird feeder:

• Spread peanut butter all over the pine cone.
• Put the bird seed in a resealable plastic bag and put the peanut butter-covered pine cone in the bag. Shake to cover with seed.
• Put the pine cone in the freezer for approximately 30 minutes to firm-up the peanut butter and make the next step more manageable.
• Tie a string around any part of the cone (I use the mid section) and secure the other end of the string to a tree branch, hook or other object in view.

Watch as birds find your feeder and enjoy the meal you left them. Identify what species of birds you have attracted and see if you seem to have any "regular visitors". Cornell has put together a great resource to identify common feeder birds. You can access their website by clicking here.

Hopefully today's post may help create moments of joy by spending time together and creating something that will inspire fun and conversation.

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Become a Pen Pal

A simple card can be a joy to send or receive

Becoming a pen pal can be a great activity for someone who is not as social as s/he used to be. Receiving a note from a friend can be uplifting, and a letter or card is especially touching in today's world of text messaging and email. Additionally, engaging with a pen pal will encourage your loved one to regularly think about someone else.Thinking about others has benefits that include decreased anti-social behavior and depression, and increased optimism and self-worth.  

Maybe a daughter, son, friend or cousin would be a good pen pal to the person whom you are caring for. Ideally, correspondence should be regular (weekly or bi-weekly is an ideal starting point) and reciprocal. Notes do not need to be elaborate, but rather just positive and thoughtful. Even sending a simple note card with a message such as "sending a hug and good thoughts your way" can bring benefits to the receiver. Other ideas for notes are:

• an article you read during the week
• a quote that inspired you
• a joke that made you smile
• a fun memory
• a bible verse that speaks to you
• a small paper craft like a heart chain or a snowflake
• a picture
• a recipe you recommend
• a cartoon

Depending on your loved one, making the card can also be enjoyable and especially fun to receive. All that is needed is some paper and imagination- you never know when inspiration will strike. Just remember to have fun and enjoy knowing you will be helping create a bright spot in another person's day :)

A Refreshing Drink

My favorite flavored water combination: orange and cucumber

Proper hydration is essential to all of us, but it is particularly important for someone who has impaired health. Encouraging your loved one to drink fluids is important, and water is nearly always the best choice. An idea that may help you and your loved one stay hydrated this summer is to make flavored waters. Flavored waters are a great way to meet your daily hydration needs without adding excessive calories, added sugars, artificial ingredients or caffeine. You may be surprised at how delicious and refreshing this simple mixture can be.

All you do is cut up fruit (oranges, lemon, lime, apples, strawberries, grapefruit and tangerines are all common choices), cucumbers or herbs (mint) and add them to a pitcher of water. You can use any of these additions alone or in combination. Keep the pitcher covered in the refrigerator for up to three days and just refill it as it becomes around half-way empty. Try using pretty cups that are not overly large (large cups can be intimidating to some) and adding a garnish (wedge of fruit) for visual appeal. Enjoy!

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