ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES
It can be difficult to find enrichment activities for dementia patients who are no longer able to enjoy the activities
that once brought them joy.
North Texas offers social activities specifically designed for the cognitively impaired, for example:
While at home, the dementia patient presents a challenge for the caregiver who is running out of ideas for ways to keep her loved one actively engaged and entertained. The following website presents some creative ideas to do just that:
Holidays can be some of the most joyful times of life. But for the dementia patient and his caregiver, they can also present some special challenges. Travel away from home, large crowds, and high levels of noise can be especially discomforting to the patient with dementia.
Holidays are also times when family members may be seeing a dementia patient for the first time in a while. They may be surprised to see how much the patient’s condition has changed since their last visit.
The following website discusses the special challenges that holidays present to the family living with dementia, and provides some good advice for addressing some of those challenges:
For many dementia patients, music can be a powerful therapy and source of comfort. In fact, long after memory of people and events has faded, many dementia patients will still remember every lyric of songs they used to sing.
The following websites discuss a variety of ways music can serve as a wonderful therapy and respite for both the dementia patient and his caregiver:
The larger metropolitan areas in North Texas are home to lots of senior centers which provide recreation and socialization for seniors, and most of them offer services that are very friendly to seniors living with a diagnosis of dementia. To find one, type “senior center near me” into your internet browser.
At some point in the progression of the disease, in-person attendance at a worship service will become difficult for both the patient and his caregiver. An hour-long service with a 30-minute sermon will overwhelm the attention span of the patient, and he may exhibit behavioral issues that will make for an awkward situation for the caregiver and fellow worshippers.
Although a less enriching experience than attending a worship service in person, most faith communities offer an online worship experience (both live and recorded) that will allow the caregiver to still enjoy a weekly worship experience when her loved one is no longer able to attend services in person.
For the patient, in lieu of a formal online worship service, many families simply find a YouTube website that plays a selection of familiar hymns with lyrics displayed on the screen.
