Activities for people with Dementia

Whether you are a care worker or an unpaid carer caring for a loved one at home, it is vital that you help to provide stimulus to the person you are caring for.  It is so important in the early stages that the person living with any form of degenerative cognitive decline carry on doing as many activities as possible.  Even in the late stages, certain activities can be still enjoyed.  As a careworker, it is so easy to get on with your job and leave a person sitting slumped in a chair....just think for one moment, how you can improve their quality of life and how you would feel if the roles were reversed! 

• Exercise

We all know how important exercise is for our own health, but having a gentle stroll in the fresh air can do wonders for an individual living with Dementia.  The endorphins flowing in their body giving them the feel good factor, whilst when walking in an old familiar place could bring back memories that may otherwise be left dormant.

• Memory Box

A memory box is a wonderful thing to put together.  Many people with Dementia often find that they can remember certain things from the distant past, although they may have forgotten what happened yesterday.  I put one together for my Mum when she came to live with me in her final stage of Vascular Dementia.  A memory box can be opened and looked at every day.  Enclose photographs from their childhood, wedding and holidays.  Include photographs of their children when they were little and objects that may have been saved.  Trinkets kept from holidays, poems and their favourite perfume should all be part of the memory box.  My Mum used to wear Estee Lauder's Blue Grass in her younger days and she loved the scent of lavender, therefore, I would encourage her to smell the scents and I would reminisce with her.

• Life book

A life book is an activity in itself; it can take months to put together.  A life book is a documented history of that person's life and should include pictures, stories, certificates and poems.  When finished it will become a book to treasure and will give plenty of enjoyment to share with others.

• Pets

If a person has always had pets and/or has always enjoyed animals, then pet therapy is a must.  A dog, a cat or a rabbit can bring great pleasure to a person and this cannot be under estimated.   Personally, I could not possibly enjoy a life without animals.  In fact, I have told my son to put me in the kennels instead of a nursing home if the needs be!!!

Even the NHS recognise pet therapy and some residential homes encourage pets into their homes.  Currently research is being undertaken with regards to pigs and goats therapy for people living with Dementia.  Nothing cheered my Mum up than a sneaky kiss from my German Shepherd.

• Music

Hearing is the last of our senses to go, thus even in the final stages of dementia, when a person is no longer able to do anything for themselves, music can be enjoyed.  Singing and dancing should always be encouraged, it brings people close and it doesn't even matter if the words are forgotten.  Mum loved Frank Sinatra and I would hold her hands in the air and sway them to the beat.

• Arts and Crafts

Most people with dementia will have had a hobby, whether it was sewing, crosswords, drawing and painting to making things; therefore it is important not to just forget this just because they cannot carry out the work they used to produce. Making collages with paper, newspaper and various fabrics and buttons can be fun and will help to keep the mind stimulated.  Jigsaws can be enjoyed, as long as you get ones that are suitable for their ability.  Simple number jigsaws/children's jigsaws can be bought, which when finished can bring a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.  Again, this keeps the mind stimulated!

Finally, pretty lights, a fish tank,lava lamps and tactile objects, are all a stimulus than can be enjoyed in a room.  Just be aware though, as I once bought some flashing lights for my Mum, however, I had to stop using them as I realised they could bring on seizures.  Epilepsy is common in brain atrophy, Vascular Dementia and other forms of cognitive decline, so it would be best to check with a health professional beforehand.

 

Alzheimer's in a nutshell

Alzheimer's Disease is the most common form of dementia that sees a steady decline in cognitive function.  Alzheimer's is a degenerative disease of the brain and shows up as white plague like tangles during a brain scan.


Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include memory loss, especially the short term memory in the early stages.  Furthermore, logical and abstract thinking is lost and any reasoning becomes impossible in time.  Often a person living with Alzheimer's feel disorientated and can forget where they are.  Moreover, they can be frightened, as they are not sure what is wrong with them, but they know something is not right, which can lead to frustration and depression.  As a loved one, you may notice that they are losing the ability to write and may have problems putting the key in the lock.  You may notice that they are still appearing to be reading, but find that the magazine/book is the wrong way round.   In addition, you may notice that they are being frustratingly repetitive and telling you the same old story over and over again.  Some people living in this fog like world may become angry and lash out, whereby others may withdraw.

As Alzheimer's progresses, cooking, cleaning, shopping becomes a problem.  Eventually, they will no longer be able to carry out their own personal care.  Towards the end of the disease, all systems eventually shut down.  However, a number of people who have lived with Alzheimer's tend to die of a related illness, such as pneumonia.


What you, as a care giver should remember is that it doesn't matter how many times you tell a person with Alzheimer's to do something, it is not going to be remembered.  If that ability is lost, then it is gone, if you carry on repeating yourself, not only are you going to frustrate yourself, but you will be frustrating your loved one.  You can not learn a poem, if that part of your brain is lost! 


Alzheimer's does not need to be the end of the relationship for you...you can still be there, hold their hand and guide them through..read stories, sing to them...ensure that they stay as active as they can for as long as possible.  Above all, do not suffer in silence - ask for help and advise - try to develop a network of support around you for when you are in need of that extra hand.