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Activities For Memory Impaired Adults
A person with dementia needs help organizing the day. Activities give purpose and meaning to life. They can also help to lessen undesirable behavior such as wandering or agitation.
Planning activities requires the caregiver to consider the person's likes and dislikes, strengths and abilities, past interests, and physical health.
The person with dementia benefits from activity involving sensory experiences. For example: "Here is a yellow lemon. Can you smell it? I'd like you to hold it. Would you like to taste it?" The individual can experience color, shape, smell and taste through this activity.
Individuals with Alzheimer's disease are known to respond to music when they cannot be reached in any other way.
The success of an activity can vary day to day. Concentrate on the process, not the outcome. What really matters is how well the activity meets the individual's and the caregiver's needs.
If the person seems bored, distracted or irritable, it may be time to
introduce another activity or take time to rest. The person with dementia
needs a balance of activity and rest. Keep in mind that as the disease
progresses, you may want to introduce more repetitive tasks or even expect
the person to take a less active role in activities.
Tips For Planning Activities
- Find activities that build on remaining skills and talent.
- Center activities around concrete objects rather than abstract ideas. Examples that may work: food, flowers, clothing, pictures, musical instruments, children, photography.
- Make activities part of your daily routine. Focus on one task at a time with simple steps.
- Relate activity to previous work life. A business person might enjoy sorting coins or organizing papers. A farmer may enjoy working in the yard or taking a drive in the country.
- Be flexible to change. Some individuals may enjoy watching sports, while the fast pace or noise may frighten others.
- Personal care, bathing, shaving and dressing are activities that can be part of your daily schedule.
- Encourage self-expression with activities that could include painting, drawing or music.
- Provide activities that have immediate results for the person.
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