Stimulating memories and improving cognitive functions can be carried out through many activities for Alzheimer’s patients. It helps to refer to this list of beneficial activities when you run out of ideas. You can also take your cue from them directly when they indicate their preference for some particular activity. Either way, this list of activities and exercises is here to help you!
Outdoor Activities
Spending time in nature and breathing in the fresh air is an excellent way to take a breather from being cooped up indoors. Try taking a walk at the local community garden, taking a path into the woods, or water and plant flowers on the patio if the Alzheimer’s patient does not feel like going too far. To have some interaction with nature, you can also try feeding the birds, raking leaves, or simply taking deep breaths of the clean air. Watch dogs at a dog park to be entertained by their funny antics or play catch and toss a ball for your furry companion.
Indoor Activities
Sometimes, home is truly the best. When you are staying at home with an Alzheimer’s patient, you can listen to the person’s favorite music together to elicit some memories for them. Some songs that they used to listen to can awaken some neural pathways for them that can help bring back their memories. Another thing that can help them to remember is by looking at family photo albums with them. The images in print can assist them in recalling a certain afternoon years ago and help them to relive the beauty of that moment. For tactile fun, you can also model with play dough with them and form fun figurines or forms of furniture to improve their motor functions. Last but not least, improve their memory functions by asking them to name the presidents or identify states on a U.S map.
Do Something Personal
Touch is the best language to transmit feelings of care and well-being. Give the person a hand massage with lotion and brush his or her hair. This gentle grooming activity makes them feel loved and cared for. You can also give the person a manicure to help them achieve a groomed and dignified appearance. Encourage the person to talk more about subjects they enjoy and get them to speak. This can include topics of their childhood, their favorite dishes, their most loved pets, etc.
Quality Care In Our Memory Care Program
We provide qualified, compassionate care for our dementia and Alzheimer’s patients, based on our decades of experience, dedication, and a deeply personalized approach to care. That’s what you can expect from our retirement community. It’s why our community has long been known for upholding excellence in person-centered memory care, and why to this day, we’re setting new, higher standards for care and service in Virginia’s Blue Ridge. We strive to give peace of mind to the family of our members who are under our care.
