Dementia Activities

Helping people with dementia to stay active and occupied and still feel involved in life can be key to maintaining quality of life for people with dementia and is beneficial for both physical and cognitive health. 

Some activities have proven to be particularly helpful for those with dementia, such as games, exercise and outdoor activities, music and art, In this article, we’ll look at some examples to help a person with dementia to utilise activities to stay active.

• Firstly, when starting an activity, make sure that they are not feeling anxious if the time is not right for an activity, it’s usually best to postpone.
• Secondly adapt activities to match abilities, with dementia activities it is best to start small and give the person time to make progress.

Daily Tasks

• Letting a person with dementia continue to participate in every day jobs will give them a sense of purpose, stimulate interest, or prompt an activity. For example, having a couple of ‘half-done’ jobs lying around – such as a pile of socks that needs sorting.

Dementia Activities  

Having dementia friendly activities readily available such as:

• Board Games: – Games like Snakes and Ladders, Ludo, etc., are easy to plat and can help boost the person’s confidence.
• Jigsaw Puzzles: – Jigsaw Puzzles help to stimulate the brain and provide a social activity that can help stimulate conversation and interaction. 
• Card Games: – Matching games are simple, classic, and undoubtedly good tests of memory. 
• Doll: – Dolls are an alternative to medication and help draw in elderly people who are no longer able to participate in many activities
• Fiddle Muffs: – Sensory stimulation has been shown to not only bring enjoyment and fun to people living with dementia but also to fight anxiety and depression while increasing social interaction.
• Colouring Activities: – Art improves mood, reduces depression and anxiety.
• Create a memory box: – Putting together a memory box is a good way of stimulating and draw out memories. Fill the box with objects, old photos, and items from the person’s past that you can explore and talk about together.
• Physical Activities including walking, swimming, dancing or gentle exercise (such as tai chi or yoga).