Following an Alzheimer’s or dementia diagnosis, if the memory of your elderly loved one starts to slip away and his confusion becomes regular, you might be hesitant to encourage him to stay active. But, it is imperative for your loved one to stay connected, engaged and active.
Planning Activities for Somebody with Dementia
This is not about putting your loved one through an intensive and rigorous workout or bringing him to an amusement park for real entertainment. Activities here mean connecting and helping him engage. Such activity can be as simple as drinking coffee while sharing memories with your aging parent, sitting on the porch or playing a word-association game. This could also mean going to the park and spending time watching other people run and play or throw Frisbees. In fact, you can have lunch with him at a diner down the road to help him see new sights, have a fun experience and talk to other people.
However, remember not to pull your parent with dementia out of his comfort zone or overstimulate him. People who have this condition benefit from routine. You can expect them to enjoy having a meal at the same time every day and doing activities at set times.
Importance of Activities
Everybody needs stimulation and older people are no different despite their dementia.
- Human connection- This enables them to stay engaged with life and enjoy new experiences. Although your elderly loved one may not have the ability to do whatever he used to, there are still a lot of opportunities to grow, connect and learn. Encourage human connection by inviting other family members to visit your aging parent or take him to a peaceful and quiet place where he can watch what other people do.
- Exercise-At any age, this activity is necessary; however, especially for elderly people who wish to retain strength, bone density and strength. Consider taking walks with your senior loved one when the weather is good. At Forever Young Senior Living, we provide chair exercise classes and encourage easy nature walks.
- Mental simulation-This is important so that your aging loved one does not start to withdraw or get bored. Give him fun crafts to do, sing familiar songs together or let him play simple puzzles such as word searches. Our Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Facility in Tomball Texas has been successful with clients in early stage dementia.
In case you worry that your senior love done is not active enough at day time, try to study his sleeping patterns. If he has difficulty sleeping at night, he may have pent up energy which he did not use in the day.
You can learn more about dementia by visiting out site foreveryoungseniorliving.com. For queries, call us at (832) 559-8356.
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