Dementia Care Activities

There are many activities that help to boost the quality of life for residents with dementia and memory loss. These activities are important because they keep neurons firing in the brain.

Staff Suggested Activities for Those with Dementia

Because dementia inhibits a person’s ability to choose and follow through on activities on their own, the Primrose day club staff has compiled the following activity suggestions for caregivers:

• Begin with activities that your loved one has enjoyed in the past
• Watch for boredom from activities that are too simple, or for frustration if too difficult
• Keep it short, simple, with few instructions
• Be patient! And be aware of your facial expressions such as raised eyebrows
• Keep activities routine, organized, and structured
• Limit activities to 45 minutes or less

Creativity

• Coloring, painting, arts & crafts
• Listening to music, playing rhythm instruments, singing songs
• Hula dancing or other simple dancing routines to music

Cooking/Kitchen

• Wash & peel vegetables, shell peas, break beans
• Make popcorn
• Copy recipes onto cards and find pictures
• Make a grocery list or meal plan

Daily Routines (ADL’s)

• Bathing, brushing teeth
• Getting dressed
• Eating

Gardening

• Planting seeds & bulbs
• Pulling weeds, raking leaves

Housework

• Fold towels, sort socks
• Sweep, set table

Photo and scrapbooking

• Look through photo albums, create a scrapbook
• Look at old greeting cards and letters

Physical activities

• Short walks, simple exercises
• Toss a large ball

Puzzles and Games

• Bingo Press (numbers on cards are in numerical order to avoid confusion)
• Object trivia (describe object, discuss facts)
• Easy crossword puzzles
• Word searches with large type
• Jigsaw puzzles with large pieces
• Simple card and board games

Reading

• Read aloud from short story collections, poems, a Bible, or Bible stories
• Look through magazines and books with pictures

Seasonal Decorating

• Help decorate the tree, string popcorn, put up decorations, and take them down
• Decorate windows and doors for seasonal holidays

Social

• Visit with family & friends
• Attend adult day care activities
• Petting & talking to household pets

Sorting and Organizing

• Sort or organize M & Ms, colorful beads, small hardware items, buttons, coins, nail polish/lipstick
• Organize pantry

There are many other activities that residents with dementia can do and enjoy, as well as some that may be initiated in an Alzheimer’s memory care center or at home that can be carried through by a medical professional, family member, or caregiver.

When a loved one is diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, help is also needed for them to continue to feel useful and to control loneliness, depression, anger, or agitation. Whether your loved one is living at home, at an assisted living center, Alzheimer’s retirement home, or is involved in an Alzheimer’s day care program, brain-stimulating activities such as these activities can improve psychological well-being and encourage social participation.

Be creative, and your loved one will enjoy life once again!