Keeping seniors with Alzheimer’s stimulated and occupied is one of the best things that can be done for their physical and mental health. A sedentary lifestyle could exacerbate the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and potentially even speed up the progression of the disease. Here’s a look at seven great activities to keep your aging loved one active and engaged with the world around him or her.
1. Cooking & Baking
As long as your loved one is still safe in the kitchen and you can directly supervise him or her, suggest cooking or baking. In addition to challenging mental abilities, these activities could also boost your loved one’s confidence. If your parent has never done much cooking, you might want to start with basic soups, salads, or smoothies.
A professional caregiver can help your loved one work in the kitchen safely. Families looking for top-rated home care providers can reach out to Assisting Hands Home Care. From respite care to specialized Alzheimer’s, dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s care, there are many ways we can make life easier for seniors and their loved ones.
2. Doing Simple Chores
Giving seniors with Alzheimer’s relatively easy tasks to complete can boost their confidence. In the earliest stages of the disease, you might want to have your loved one do more challenging chores, such as putting away the dishes or cleaning up the yard. As the symptoms become worse, you can switch over to simpler tasks, such as folding towels.
If your loved one is living with Alzheimer’s, having a trained professional caregiver close by can provide you and your family with much-needed peace of mind. One of the most challenging tasks of helping an elderly relative age in place safely and comfortably is researching agencies that provide home care service. Cincinnati families can turn to Assisting Hands Home Care for reliable, high-quality in-home care for aging adults. We offer 24-hour care for seniors who require extensive assistance, and we also offer respite care for family caregivers who need a break from their caregiving duties.
3. Listening to Music
Studies continue to show music therapy can be a very powerful tool for seniors with Alzheimer’s. Listening to music stimulates multiple areas of the brain at once and triggers the production of key hormones and chemicals. You can also have your loved one sing along to favorite music or play a simple percussion instrument.
4. Creating Memory Boxes
Alzheimer’s has a huge impact on memory, which can make seniors feel disconnected from their pasts. With a memory box, you can help your loved one recall past experiences, which could greatly enhance his or her outlook on life. The memory box might include objects such as old photos and some favorite jewelry.
5. Making DIY Picture Puzzles
Completing a puzzle activates multiple areas of the brain at once, which could be incredibly good for your loved one’s cognitive health. Instead of doing generic puzzles purchased from a store, you can make your own puzzles from family photos. All you have to do is print a large family photo on some thick paper and then cut it into a dozen or more pieces.
6. Playing Card Games
Before the disease progresses too far, your loved one might enjoy playing card games. Larger playing cards provide tactile feedback, and the strategies used in these games can boost cognitive function. Your loved one can also play games independently by separating the cards into categories or using them to add up numbers.
7. Playing with Fabric Boxes
There will most likely come a time when many of these activities become very difficult for your loved one, so you’ll need to change over to simpler activities that stimulate the senses. Having your loved one play with a fabric box full of different materials and items with various patterns and color schemes can stimulate multiple senses at once, and the tactile feedback could lower his or her stress levels.
Aging adults with Alzheimer’s disease can benefit from receiving professional Alzheimer’s care. Cincinnati seniors need regular mental stimulation when managing memory-related conditions, and a reliable in-home caregiver who has extensive training in Alzheimer’s care can be a great asset. Assisting Hands Home Care will work with you to customize a care plan that’s just right for your loved one’s needs. Call us today to discuss how we can give you the peace of mind that comes from knowing your loved one is being cared for with professionalism and compassion.
