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Choosing The Right Activities For Dementia Patients

December 15, 2022 0 Comment Category: Betenu Health

The number of people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia disorders is on the rise and the cost of dementia care continues to grow. This is why many families opt for family caregiving for senior loved ones suffering from dementia disorders. In the opinion of memory care experts, keeping dementia patients engaged in daily activities and tasks that are cognitively challenging can be beneficial to the body and the mind. Our dementia care experts share some tips that can help you choose the right activity for your senior loved one suffering from dementia disorders.

Tips To Choose The Right Activities For Dementia Sufferers

Relate Activities To The Interests Of The Person: It can be helpful to relate the activities that you choose to the work-life or the interest of your senior loved one. For instance, if your loved one was a former office worker, the person might enjoy various activities that involve organizing like assembling a mailbox, making a to-do list, arranging books, putting coins in a coin holder, etc.

Avoid Overstimulating Activities: While choosing activities for your senior loved one suffering from dementia disorders, you should find activities that will not overstimulate the person. While choosing outings, you need to be selective and should not avoid places with constant noise, movements, and crowds. This is because people suffering from dementia disorders can find such places overstimulating.

Choose Activities That Are Not Too Hard And Not Too Easy: Your senior loved one suffering from dementia may feel bored or insulted if an activity is too simple or childish. Also, if you choose activities that are above the cognitive level of your loved one, it can frustrate the person. Therefore, choose activities that are not too easy or too difficult for your senior loved one.

Activities Include More Than Planned Activities: While choosing activities, you need to keep in mind that activities are not just planned ones. They can include life skills, which means taking part in daily living skills. You can encourage your senior loved one to wash cloth or hold the toothbrush or select an item of clothing.  Activities can also include mealtime activities. You can encourage your loved one to set the table, fold napkins, wash the dishes, etc. You may also allow your loved one to help with dusting the house, watering the plants, folding the laundry, etc.

Focus On Enjoyment And Not Achievement: While choosing activities for your senior loved one suffering from dementia disorders, try to find activities that can help build on remaining skills. For instance, a professional artist can get frustrated over his or her declining skills, whereas an amateur can enjoy a chance for self-expression.