Help Seniors with Dementia Stay Engaged

Senior Health  |  February 15, 2022

What Every Senior in Edmonton, AB Needs to Know About Remaining Engaged with Dementia

Help Seniors with Dementia Stay Engaged | In the early stages of dementia, many seniors show less interest in what was once their favourite activities, and that can be hard on the family and loved ones who want to help them.

Routine activity, as long as it is carefully planned, can enrich the lives of those affected by dementia and support them in many ways:

1. Helping seniors stay focused and not wander;
2. Easing agitation;
3. Maintaining proper blood pressure, blood flow, blood sugar, and weight;
4. Keeping their minds sharp;
5. Potentially slowing down the decline of dementia;
6. Warding off depression; and building confidence as they begin to lose some of their abilities.

Because of these benefits, it is important to provide ongoing opportunities for these seniors to remain engaged.

Tips to Help Seniors with Dementia Stay Engaged with Activities

Activities for seniors with dementia do not have to be strenuous to be beneficial, and senior care experts offer recommendations when planning activities.

Tip #1 – Communicate Activities

Explain the activities beforehand, even if you are not sure the person with dementia can fully understand your instructions.

Tip #2 – Reevaluate

Do regular reevaluations of the person’s abilities as their dementia progresses so you can adjust his or her activities and avoid frustration or agitation.

Tip #3 – Be Aware of Needs

Be aware of limitations, such as eyesight, the need for rest, and times of day that work best for the individual.

Tip #4 – Be Kind

Focus on enjoyment not achievement and be careful not to criticize or correct the person.

Tip #5 – Validate the Individual

Let individuals with dementia know they are needed by asking for their help during activities of all kinds.

Some activities that prove beneficial for seniors and help keep them engaged with those around them include the following:

#1. Talk about past loves and relationships:

Most people with dementia can more easily recall events from the past compared to the present. Bring old scrapbooks, photos and cards to help get and keep a discussion going. Talk about their favourite romantic memories, even crushes from their school days and early dating years.

#2. Listen to music

#3. Create art:

Use construction paper, felt, doilies, paints, markers, and stickers to create a work of art. Have the individual sign his or her name on the artwork and give it to facility staff, family, grandkids, and neighbours.

#4. Bake something sweet:

If it is safe, make and decorate cookies using simple recipes or ready-made dough. Just like music, the smells of baking treats might help bring back memories to share.

#5. Make craft flowers:

Offer tissue paper with green pipe cleaners. Have participants cut or fold the paper into flower shapes and then glue them on the pipe cleaners.

#6. Offer clay as a craft element:

Participants can make paperweights or boxes out of clay that can be baked and then painted. Moulding clay offers exercise that will keep fingers and hands strong.

#7. Make jewelry:

Use colourful beads, which can be decorated with glitter or paint, and strings to create gifts such as key chains, or door and window hangers. In addition to exercising hands, beadwork helps improve and retain the ability to manage details.

#8. Create with fresh flowers:

Buy planters and plant succulent and carnation arrangements. For a simpler activity, buy vases and an assortment of fresh flowers and embellishments the senior can assemble.

#9. Make gift bags to share:

Buy decorative cellophane bags an assortment of chocolates and small gift items for the seniors to create gift bags. This is a great activity that keeps seniors with dementia active in sorting items.

#10. Keep it fun:

Make sure the activities are in line with the person’s interests and adjust them to his or her current ability level to avoid frustration. Plan outdoor activities whenever possible, and be sure to vary activities to include mental and physical stimulation, as well as those that stimulate sight, smell, hearing, and touch.

It is also important to maintain a sense of structure even though the activities may be varied. Following these guidelines can offer a stimulating, enjoyable holiday for the person affected by dementia and his or her loved ones.

Comfort Keepers® in Edmonton Can Help with In-Home Elder Care!

If you are concerned about the health and well-being of your aging loved ones we can help with retirement care, 24-hour care, respite care, senior care, companionship care, end-of-life care, post-surgery care, palliative care, personal care, senior living transition services, and much more! 

Comfort Keepers®’ are trained caregivers who help provide senior clients with the highest quality of life possible to keep them happy and healthy at home. 

Companionship Care and Interactive Caregiving™

Our Interactive Caregiving™ provides a system of care that addresses companionship, safety, nutrition, mind, body, and activities of daily living (ADLs).

Moreover, our trained caregivers are selected with one specific quality: empathy. Empathetic care is care that starts in the heart, and it allows us to meet our client’s exact needs. 

Home Care Edmonton

To learn more about senior care in Edmonton, contact the Comfort Keepers® office to discuss our unique service offering. If you live in Devon, Edmonton, Sherwood Park, or Stony Plain and surrounding areas, contact Comfort Keepers at 780-465-4665.

Is Invoicing Modelling and Client Direct Home Care the Right Option for You?

Comfort Keepers® Edmonton is an Approved Service Provider for the Client Directed Homecare Invoicing (CDHCI) Program Offered by Alberta Health Services. Read more about the program HERE.

Comfort Keepers® Edmonton is here to help you and your loved ones get the best care possible. Recently awarded the “Accredited with Exemplary Standing” seal by Accreditation Canada, our Edmonton location has achieved the highest available certification in Canada for Home Care services, clearly demonstrating Comfort Keepers’ commitment to offering safe, high-quality home care to its senior clients in Edmonton.

References

Alzheimer’s Association. (n.d.). Enhancing daily life: activities. Retrieved from http://www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-dementia-activities.asp

Aveyard-Barry, Michelle. (n.d.). Valentine Crafts for Alzheimer’s Patients. In eHow. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/list_6152788_valentine-crafts-alzheimer_s-patients.html

Bragg, Susan. (2010, January 31). Valentine’s Day Activities for Those Suffering from Dementia. In Zimbio Alzheimer’s Reading Room. Retrieved from http://www.zimbio.com/Alzheimer’s+Reading+Room/articles/wWDxUrMqP2u/Valentine+Day+Activities+Those+Suffering+Dementia

Richmond, Mary. (n.d.). Activities for Alzheimer’s Patients. In eHow. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/way_5349914_activities-alzheimers-patients.html

Salazar, Gina, AD. (n.d.). Alzheimer’s/Dementia Activities: Fun stuff to do with Alzheimers/Dementia Residents. In The Activity Director’s Office. Retrieved January 9, 2014 from http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com/Gina_ActivityIdeasThatWork_Alzheimers.html.

Shadowbox Press Blog (2013, January 16). 10 Valentine’s Day Activities for Alzheimer’s Patients. Retrieved from http://www.shadowboxpress.wordpress.com/2013/01/16/10-valentines-day-activities-for-alzheimers-patients-3/

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