Activities for dementia (2024)

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Activities for dementia? ›

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THE 4Rs: REASSURE, RECONSIDER, REDIRECT, and RELAX. Although many specific problems in dementia are best managed by equally specific solutions, there are some general approaches that can be used in a wide range of situations.

Three of the most common types of behavioral triggers in dementia patients are confusion, pain or discomfort, and a changing or overwhelming environment.

Listening to music, dancing, or contact with babies, children or animals provide positive feelings. People with dementia often have excellent memories of past events, and looking through old photos, memorabilia and books can help the person to recall earlier times.

Like games, puzzles are a go-to when you're looking for activities for dementia patients. Not only do puzzles help stimulate the brain, but they also provide social interactions that can help patients and caregivers create positive emotional connections.

SPECAL sense begins with three Golden Rules: Don't ask direct questions. Listen to the expert – the person with dementia – and learn from them. Don't contradict.

Looping is very common in dementia care. It can involve the repeating of stories or fixations. How you approach it and/or embrace it makes a world of difference in your interaction with the individual. Allow it to happen and you can have a deeper, richer interaction with your loved one.

A new study suggests that personality traits like neuroticism and conscientiousness may increase dementia risk. Psychological factors appear to affect dementia likelihood though not underlying brain neuropathology. Protective traits, particularly conscientiousness, seem to grow stronger with age against dementia.

other long-term health problems – dementia tends to progress more quickly if the person is living with other conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure, particularly if these are not well-managed.

What can make dementia worse quickly? ›

What triggers dementia to get worse? Dementia is a progressive disease, so it will gradually get worse over time. However, external factors, such as a brain injury or sudden change in routine, can trigger a sudden worsening of dementia symptoms.

The Butterfly Scheme allows people with temporary confusion, memory loss and dementia to make this fact clear to hospital staff and provides staff with practical training to offer a simple, five-point, targeted response to meet their needs.

You can't tell whether someone has dementia by looking in their eyes. However, vision loss commonly occurs among people with dementia. It's not clear whether vision loss causes dementia or vice versa. It may be that both sight loss and dementia are more common among older adults.

Whole Grains. Whole grains are rich in fiber, B vitamins and other nutrients and can reduce inflammation in the brain, supporting memory and warding off dementia. Whole grains such as quinoa, barley, brown rice and oats are great choices and can be healthier alternatives to more processed grains, such as white flour.

These boxes are meant to foster resident engagement in meaningful life tasks and roles. Activity boxes provide residents with a sense of purpose and belonging and utilize resident's cognitive and physical capabilities. They also decrease unwanted behavior in dementia patients, such as agitation and wandering.

I'm going to discuss five of the most basic ones here: 1) Don't tell them they are wrong about something, 2) Don't argue with them, 3) Don't ask if they remember something, 4) Don't remind them that their spouse, parent or other loved one is dead, and 5) Don't bring up topics that may upset them.