Activities

Activities

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A primary concern for the care-givers of an Alzheimer's patient is to provide the individual with meaningful and appropriate activities. The most successful activities for individuals suffering from memory loss are those which: take advantage of old skills; offer social interaction; allow considerable physical activity; and support cognitive functions.
There are many benefits both for the patient and the care-giver by providing stimulating activities. Some of these benefits include: raising the quality of life for both patient and care-giver; relieving boredom; providing stimulation; reducing restlessness; helping to raise self-esteem; keeping an individual more alert; providing opportunities for socialization.
Some good guidelines to follow when planning activities for the Alzheimer's patient include the following:

Recreational activities should utilize remaining abilities and knowledge. Memory loss patients usually remember the distant past more readily than the recent past and skills learned early in life are maintained the longest.
Select activities which will provide cognitive and sensory stimulation as well as entertainment and occupation.
Choose activities which involve very few steps and guide the patient through each one, step by step if necessary. Avoid activities which require making choices or decisions, learning new skills or information, or attending to one thing for an extended period of time.
Try to avoid activities which the patient perceives as childish. Keep in mind that as the disease progresses, this perception will change and some of the children's games, books, activities will be very useful.
Be creative in devising activities for the patient and remember that what works today may not work tomorrow.
Do not feel that the patient must be kept busy with scheduled activities all day long. However, do not shy away from giving the patient "busy work" if it calms and occupies him.

A large part of every person's self-image is being productive and doing something that is of recognizable value.
Begin by thinking of all the jobs and hobbies that a patient has enjoyed such as: gardening; writing; taking photos; housework; home repair; etc.
Second, think about the activities which resemble these hobbies which include: planting a garden from seed catalogs "resembles" landscaping; building models "resembles" home repair; nurturing individual house plants "resembles" gardening; etc.
Third, tailor your ideas to match the patient's current ability level. Example: a person unable to do finer cutting and painting required in model building may still be able to sort patterns into piles by number; hold pieces in position for gluing; etc.
Fourth, once a list of workable activities has been chosen, consider the roles your family member is most accustomed to, such as: teacher; parent; helpmate; problem-solver; etc. Utilize this information to position the chosen activities in the best possible context. For example, if "problem-solver" is the most comfortable role for your loved one and model building the most appropriate activity, instead of opting for the "you hold, I'll glue" approach (which might be perfectly appropriate to someone accustomed to a less dominant role), structure the activity to allow the patient to make as many choices as his ability level permits (choosing colors, the sequence of construction, etc.). As ability levels decline, one may have to redefine activities to suit, for example, an individual who can no longer decide on a sequence of construction may retain the ability to choose colors much longer.
Specific Activities Include:
Walks two to three times daily. Use the malls during early morning hours. There are many Red Cross organized walking programs in the local malls.
Try dancing: practice with radio or records at home in the living room.
Games: Eldergames are available and are designed to stimulate the memory of memory loss individuals. Call: (301) 881-8433 or write Eldergames, 11710 Hunters Lane, Rockville, MD 20852.
Cards: These can be sorted, put into respective piles (kings, queens, etc.), shuffle and deal them, count them, tell stories with them.
Laundry: Sorting and matching socks, folding, fill a laundry basket full of clean towels and washcloths, etc. - give them to the patient to sort and fold.
Kitchen activities: A pot of water on the stove with food coloring and a spoon can become a stirring activity. Stirring the gravy or a sauce. Assist in cookie making: measuring, pouring, stirring, mixing, rolling, etc.
Magazines: Selecting, cutting, pasting, making scrapbooks and reading stories.
House cleaning: Washing windows, dusting, washing or drying dishes, polishing silverware, vacuuming.
Coins: Sorting and rolling in bank wrappers.
Men's activities: Sanding wood, shining shoes, sorting nuts and bolts.
Touch/feel: Assemble a fabric collage that has different textures.
Caring for a pet: Provides companionship and eases isolation.
Lacing and Stringing: Simple lacing kits for lacing yarn in and out of holes on cards. Large printed cross stitch kits and simple needlepoint kits make good quiet activities. Also, large wooden beads and heavy shoelaces for stringing them is another quiet activity - also the beads, buttons, etc. can be sorted.
Crafts: Task should be simple and use a few pieces. Must be something completed in a short period of time and adult in subject matter.
Music: Usually very successful. Use small tape recorder or walkman. Sing alongs with old familiar music or hymns from church are good. Sing with the patient even if you have a lousy voice!
Memories: Old photographs, old movies, old recordings can trigger fond memories. Video of family members who live far away can be helpful.
Reading: Books, newspapers and magazines can be an infinite source of pleasure. Recorded books can work well also. Reading to the individual is an enjoyable way to share time together. Later stages: Picture books with colorful animals, flowers, etc. are good.
Felt boards and magnetic boards with bright colors and shapes can be a good source for quiet activities.
Cloth books with lacing, zipping, buttoning, etc. are another quiet activity source.
Being a creative care-giver becomes a big challenge, but truly rewarding when an activity works and keeps the Alzheimer's patient busy and content.
In the Northern Virginia Chapter Service Area, for more information about Activities, please contact the Chapter's telephone Helpline at 703-359-4440 or 800-207-8679. Outside Northern Virginia, please contact your local Chapter.

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Last updated: March 1, 1999
Please return to https://www.alz-nova.org or
call 800-207-8679 or 703-359-4440
for more information about services in Northern Virginia.
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