After a dementia diagnosis, it’s vital for seniors to keep their brains stimulated so they can work toward maintaining optimum cognitive health. If your elderly loved one is living with dementia, Green Valley dementia care professionals suggest a few simple activities that can help boost his or her Brain health.
1. Organizing Household Items
Having the ability to group different items is one of the building blocks of cognitive development. However, it is also one of the first skills many seniors with dementia lose. Spending a few minutes each day organizing and grouping household items is a great way to challenge your loved one without overwhelming him or her. This activity may be particularly effective if your loved one enjoyed organizing items when he or she was younger.
2. Singing Along to Old Songs
Music is extremely powerful at all ages, but it is especially helpful to those who have dementia because it can help trigger memories, reduce stress, and coordinate motor movements. When your loved one listens to music he or she once enjoyed, he or she will associate it with important events in the past like a wedding or vacation. You might need to experiment with different artists and genres before you find songs your loved one enjoys.
3. Painting
Families providing Green Valley, AZ, home care for seniors with dementia should try to stimulate as many senses as possible when they are challenging their loved ones’ cognitive abilities. Painting is an excellent way to accomplish this task because it requires hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, and dexterity. The senior painter must also think multiple steps ahead as he or she blends different colors and turns his or her thoughts into a tangible image.
4. Gardening Indoors
Taking care of a few indoor plants is a low-risk activity for seniors with dementia and an excellent way to keep them motivated and challenged. Before starting the small garden, you and your loved one should sit down and write out a list of the types of plants and supplies you will need. You can then create a checklist that includes daily tasks such as watering, pruning, and fertilizing the plants.
At Embrace In-Home Care, we believe so strongly in the power of engaging activities and their impact on brain health that we developed a program specifically for this purpose. The Cognitive Therapeutics Method was designed to help slow cognitive decline and delay the onset of dementia-related disorders. In addition to dementia and Alzheimer’s care Green Valley, AZ, seniors can rely on, we also offer specialized stroke and Parkinson’s care. For more information on our elder care services, call (520) 625-2050 to schedule a complimentary consultation with a trusted Care Manager.