Alzheimer’s Disease can make it difficult for your loved ones to feel engaged in life. People with memory issues tend to struggle with activities they used to enjoy. You can offer DIY and craft activities for people with Alzheimer’s that are fun to do and help reduce depression while increasing self-esteem. When you are planning Alzheimer’s activities, always keep safety in mind. You need to choose activities that will not cause injuries or present risks. If you are dealing with small objects, for example, remember that some seniors may put them in their mouth, which is a choking hazard. Always supervise DIY and craft activities to ensure the safety of your loved one.
Here are four ideas for Alzheimer’s activities you can do with seniors:
For adults who enjoy flowers and gardening, arranging flowers is a fun activity. With a plastic vase or container, florist foam, and inexpensive artificial flowers, seniors can create pretty arrangements. When complete, they can decorate their living space with them or give them away as gifts.
Play a Memory Card Game
Remember playing memory as a child? You can create a new version for your senior in need of memory care Alzheimer’s activities. Make copies of photographs of family members, or images of objects or places that your senior enjoys. You will need two copies of each photograph or image selected. Cut all photographs into equal-sized cards and laminate with clear tape or a laminating machine. Spread the cards out with the images face down on the table, and try to play memory – flipping over each card and looking for the match on your turn. If that proves too difficult, play a simple sorting game, where your loved one looks at each photo and makes the match.
Make and Use Homemade Play Dough
Kneading and modeling with play dough is fun and reduces stress for people of all ages. Make your own homemade play dough recipe, and then provide your senior with cookie cutters to make fun shapes out of the finished dough.
Many seniors have fond memories of being handy in their homes. You can create a handyman game to help them maintain those memories as well as give them something to do with their hands. Gather inexpensive PVC pipe in varying lengths, some elbows, and t-joints, and have your loved one put them together in different ways. The pipes and fittings can be put together and taken apart repeatedly to make different shapes.