Loved One With Alzheimer’s? 10 Activities to Engage Him or Her.

Any time you are dealing with someone whose brain function is altered, you must throw common sense and reason and logic out the window.  Whether it’s a brain injury, stroke, or Alzheimer’s/dementia, a person who can’t embrace reality on the same terms as one with a healthy brain must be met on their level.  That means you, the caregiver, must submit to a world of irrationality.  You will engage in conversations that are monotonously repetitive and non-sensical.  You will witness behavior that is uncharacteristic of your loved one.

One of the best things you can do for yourself as well as your loved one with Alzheimer’s is to engage them with an activity.  An activity can focus the attention of an Alzheimer’s patient on the task at hand, and can serve to relax both of you.  Your options are unlimited, but I’ve listed 10 options here.  Get creative with your own ideas, and try to come up with activities that require the use of motor skills as well as an exercise in thinking.

1.  Sort poker chips

2.  Toss a beach ball

3.  Fold clothes

4.  Color pictures

5.  Make a family tree poster

6.  Fill a bird feeder with seed

7.  Polish silverware

8.  Work a simple puzzle together

9.  Write a letter to a family member

10.  Put coins in a jar

This is just a partial list compiled by Alzheimer’s Arkansas, Program and Services.  For more information about Alzheimer’s or dementia contact your local Alzheimer’s Association.  For help caring for your loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia, contact us here at Senior Care Management Solutions.  901-387-3837.