5 Stimulating and Helpful Home Activities for People with Dementia
Helping a loved one with dementia feel productive and involved even at home is a key part of dementia management. To help make your loved one feel a sense of accomplishment even in the comforts of their own home, engage them in any of the five activities listed below!
In this article:
Untying knots
Sorting and folding laundry
Creating a box of memories
Playing their favorite songs
Cooking and baking
1. Untying Knots
Untying knots can be very therapeutic for people with dementia. For one, the activity engages their motor skills without exerting too much physical effort. Having a loved one with dementia undo knots on a piece of rope also has emotional benefits. You’ll see right away that upon finishing the task, they’d have a sense of accomplishment which can boost their self-esteem.
TIP: When choosing a rope, make sure it has a fairly large diameter and is soft to the touch. Keep the knots simple—don’t make them too hard to unravel.
2. Sorting and Folding Laundry
Another stimulating task that you can involve people with dementia in is sorting and folding laundry. It might sound like a run-off-the-mill chore to many of us, but to someone with dementia, it’s an easy way for them to keep busy and have a sense of accomplishment.
Those with dementia often want to feel like they’re still contributing to the household. Sorting and folding laundry accomplishes that. Plus, your clothes get sorted—it’s a win-win situation!
Other similar activities you can try with someone who has dementia are that involves sorting are:
Pairing socks
Sorting silverware
Organising drawers
TIP: When involving someone with dementia during laundry day, give them items that are relatively easy to fold like hand towels and socks. If you’ll have them help you sort silverware, be cautious when it comes to knives and other sharp items.
3. Creating a Box of Memories
Helping your loved one create a box full of their mementos and souvenirs is a great way to keep them connected with their past.
To get started, look around your house for a box you’re no longer using. Then, you can sit down with your loved one and talk to them about what they used to do back when they were younger.
You can then help them go through the house and fill the box with items that either remind them of those times or actual keepsakes from the past.
Say your loved one has a passion for painting, you can help them fill the box with brushes, paint pots, and water wells. If they were career-oriented in their youth, you can put items in the box that remind them of their career—office supplies like pens, paper clips, envelopes, and folders.
If the person with dementia was an avid cook back in the day, you can help them make a recipe box. Type out recipes on hard-stock cards and ask your loved one to sort and keep them in a nice wooden box.
Photographs, music, and other mementos are all perfect as well. You might be amazed by the stories that surface with each piece.
TIP: You can even engage in a bit of arts and crafts with your loved one by helping to design the actual box they’ll keep their memories in.
4. Playing Their Favorite Songs
Music is a good way to stimulate any person’s senses. This also holds true for those with dementia.
Set aside some time to talk to your loved one about their music preferences. Ask them about the music or sounds they enjoy listening to.
You can look for their favorite songs on apps like Apple Music and Spotify. You and your loved one can sit and enjoy the music together. Doing this can help them feel at ease, and may even help them recall happy memories.
TIP: Be mindful of the music’s volume, especially if your loved one enjoys upbeat songs.
5. Cooking and Baking
Like sorting clothes, cooking or baking simple dishes in the kitchen can help your loved one feel a sense of accomplishment. Working in the kitchen is also a good way to have someone with dementia to excite their motor and sensory experience.
The kind of kitchen duties you let your loved one perform is a case-to-case basis. If they’re more able, you can have them peel, chop, or mix ingredients. For those who aren’t so agile, they can be given other tasks like pouring or measuring.
TIP: When in the kitchen with someone who has dementia, it’s best to let them do as much as possible while ensuring their safety. Have them wear oven mitts and an apron. If something needs to go in or out of the oven, make sure you’re there to assist.
Key Takeaways
Keeping a loved one with dementia engaged at home while ensuring their safety is a concern for many of us, and an important part of dementia care.
But with the help of personal alarms for seniors, you can give your loved one a direct line to us here at Tunstall Healthcare. Our dedicated team is ready 24/7 to provide immediate assistance whenever and wherever it's needed. As a family member or caregiver, you'll never have to worry about your loved one's call for help going unanswered.
Ask us today about how personal alarms for seniors can improve dementia care for your loved one today.
