Stimulating Activities for Seniors with Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is undeniably one of the most dreaded medical conditions in the world today, especially because it affects mostly the elderly. In 2019, more than 5.8 million Americans had Alzheimer’s, 5.6 million of which are individuals aged 65 and older.

Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the country, killing more people than prostate and breast cancer combined.

Seniors with Alzheimer’s disease usually stay in memory assisted living facilities where they are given the chance to enjoy an excellent quality of life even as their disease progresses.

One of the most important parts of any memory care plan is to offer these five stimulating activities that help reduce the effects of memory loss, so seniors can still express themselves and build emotional connections with others, especially their loved ones.

Cleaning

Being a progressive disease, Alzheimer’s slowly takes away an individual’s memory causing him to forget even the most mundane tasks that he used to do back when he was younger. This is why memory assisted living facilities to allow residents to do basic chores like wiping the table, folding the laundry and sweeping the floor to promote independence and give them the happiness of being able to accomplish something every day.

Baking or cooking

Aside from cleaning, cooking is one of those simple tasks that could stir up a lot of great memories for seniors. Making meals together with loved ones helps bring back those times when they would cook their recipes at home and this activity is also a great way to foster independence, so seniors can still enjoy cooking or baking while they are in a relatively safe environment.

Reading

Reading books or magazines is such a great way to keep the brain active by feeding them with information. Alzheimer’s disease progresses faster when the brain is stagnant, so reading is encouraged for seniors in memory assisted living to not only keep them informed of the world around them but also stimulate brain activity.

Playing music or doing arts and crafts

There’s always something magical about playing music or doing arts and crafts that make even those who don’t have Alzheimer’s disease happy.

For seniors in memory assisted living facilities, these activities are not only a great way to pass the time but they also keep their brains active to reduce memory impairment, which is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.

Music and art are also great activities to help foster engagement and interaction among residents in these facilities, so they can still build meaningful relationships at this stage in their lives.

Watching family videos

Finally, nothing beats the joy of watching family videos together with a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease. Since memory loss is one of the most devastating effects of the disease, it’s very important for seniors to recall the most important times of their lives by watching videos that help stimulate their brain.

This is also a great bonding activity for residents and their loved ones, as these memories stir emotions that help them maintain their relationship even when their loved one already has severe memory loss.

Fallbrook Assisted Living is proud to offer its services to Fremont, NE, and surrounding areas and cities: Arlington, Cedar Bluffs, Ames Nickerson, Fontanelle, Arlington, Leshara, Colon, and Hooper