Brain Stretching Activities For Someone With Alzheimer's
Not sure how to fill your visits to a loved one with Alzheimer's
? Take the reins and lead her somewhere you'll both enjoy going. Staying mentally engaged is known to slow down the disease process and ease the frustration and boredom that can lead to worsened behavioral symptoms (like aggression, wandering, and rummaging).
Caveat: If an activity seems to stress or frustrate her, stop. Shared activities should feel like a pleasure, not a test.
* Keep expectations realistic: Consider what she can do, rather than what she used to do.
* Stick to short, simple plans. Avoid elaborate, multistep projects.
* Keep your comments positive and encouraging.
* Avoid treating her like a child (talking down to her, hovering, taking something out of her hands to complete).
* Watch for cues -- such as increased distraction or agitation -- that indicate that she's confused, tired, or otherwise uncomfortable. This signals it's time to stop.
* Make the most of the skills and interests she retains.
* Take your time and be patient.
When the seasons change, think about activities that have to do with upcoming holidays or the new season in general.
* Help her decorate her home seasonally. Though she may no longer be able to handle the hands-on work, she may enjoy deciding which items to use and where things should go. Just make sure you don't overdo it -- changing her home environment too much or adding too many distractions can be confusing.
* Try doing an arts and crafts activity together to create a seasonal decoration, such as a centerpiece for a holiday meal.
* Look for religious services or performances that tie into the season. Attend low-key performances, such as those on midweek afternoons, to make the outing less stressful. Avoid evening engagements if this is a time when her behaviors escalate.
* Take a walk, if she's able, or go for a drive. She's likely to appreciate excursions that allow her to enjoy changing scenery or to see holiday decorations.
You may not consider household activities stimulating or enjoyable, but they can be a great source of both pleasure and mental exercise to someone with Alzheimer's. Completing tasks, even simple or rote ones, provides a sense of achievement -- important because she may feel increasingly useless and out of control of her environment.
Activities that are often particularly engaging, especially if she has always done them, include sorting, folding, or putting away laundry; washing dishes or unloading a dishwasher; snapping beans or shucking corn; and raking leaves, watering flowers, or pulling weeds in the garden. Doing everything "for" a patient robs her of the opportunity to feel productive, and feeling useful is a basic human need. So don't feel guilty about using your time together on something as mundane as chores.
Alzheimers Brain ActivitiesAlzheimers Interactionsby: Caring Editorial Team
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