Dementia is a diagnosis that can be difficult to accept and live with both for the affected patient as well as for their loved ones. Hiring the services of a dementia carer could be one of the best things you can do for your loved one because it involves a holistic and comprehensive as well as bespoke approach tailored to the individual. With elderly home care, dementia patients can feel more at ease, safe, comfortable and relaxed as opposed to living in a nursing or care home. But this requires that the dementia carer engages your loved ones in fun and safe activities to try to give them a sense of dignity and well-being that we all desire. With this in mind, it’s crucial to look at some of the activity types that the carer and patient can engage in to help stimulate the brain, nerves and body and provide more peace of mind.
Activities for dementia patients at home and outside
Dementia care in the UK, especially care that is provided at the patient’s home, should take into account the fact that the dementia patient is struggling with memory problems, experiencing behaviour changes and may face difficulties with concentration and speaking. This can be both difficult and frustrating, particularly in the participation in daily activities that were once easy to do. As a result, activities for dementia patients need to be safe, fun, easy and failure-free. We’ve compiled a list of what a carer can do with the patient both at home and outdoors.
Indoor activities
Household chores: household chores don’t have to be either potentially dangerous or not fun. In fact, activities such as folding laundry like towels can help the dementia patient feel useful and productive.
Music and dancing: apart from chores, it’s also good to take into account what type of music the patient enjoyed in the past and not only listen to their favourite songs with them but get them to engage in some physical movement. Where dancing upright is possible, this should be encouraged. However, if it isn’t, then simply moving one’s hands and legs from a chair or a sofa could do the trick just as well.
Reading: dementia carers can also take a patient’s favourite book and read to them or ask them to read out loud. This will not only stimulate the mind and bring back memories of having read the book before, but it will also engage the patient in the plot of the story as they can discuss the role of each protagonist in the story and try to guess what happens next.
Audiovisual entertainment: there are numerous television shows and documentaries that can be interesting, engaging and entertaining and this activity shouldn’t be passed up. It doesn’t involve physical movement and it can be stimulating for the mind.
Painting: this is a wonderful activity that can release creativity and lead to inspiration. Using crayons or even pencils or soft paints on paper can be a wonderful way of releasing pent-up stress and encouraging the patient to think outside the box as they express themselves.
Writing: another activity that can be harmless is to help dementia patients journal and write whatever they wish to write. Whether it’s something that will help them remember and trigger a memory at a later stage or something that will help them express their creativity, writing can be another fun way to relax and unwind.
Untie knots: speaking of relaxing and unwinding, a further activity that can help with stress and lead to a feeling of satisfaction and a job well done is the untying of knots. When the dementia carer provides the knots, they don’t necessarily need to be too tight. Remember that fail-free activities should be encouraged and it should be made as easy for the patient as possible.
Thread pasta: making pasta necklaces and bracelets is another fun, easy to do and harmless activity.
Cut out pictures from old magazines: a dementia carer can also encourage the patient to select pictures from old magazines which will then be cut out and turned into an interesting and creative collage.
Look through photo albums and reminisce: reminiscing or attempting to remember things and people from the past can be a great exercise of relaxation and a source of joy as well. Looking through photo albums and remembering people and places can help give the patient a lot more value in the experience.
Games: finally, when it comes to indoor activities for dementia patients, games such as dominoes or Uno can be a fun way to relax.
Outdoor activities
Outdoor activities can include engaging in physical activities such as going for walks and light stretching can help. In addition to this, gardening can be a great way see and enjoy the fruits of one’s labour as is watering plants and taking care of other living things.
Why call a dementia care specialist?
Dementia care at home can be a really rewarding experience because not only will your loved one enjoy the comfort and serenity of familiar surroundings, they can also engage in both indoor and outdoor activities that keep them engaged and which can help slow down further mental deterioration.
