Welcome to Alicia’s monthly advice column where she’ll provide tips on caring for a loved one with dementia. Alicia Seaver is the Director of Memory Care at Bridges® by EPOCH and is a certified memory impairment specialist. This month’s topic is engaging holiday activities.
It’s the most magical time of the year—a time to connect with loved ones and find warmth in each other’s company. Recognizing the holidays as a celebration of meaningful connections is particularly important for those living with dementia, who can feel isolated and withdrawn from others. To ensure that your loved one with dementia will enjoy holiday gatherings rather than shrink from them, engage them with light, stimulating activities during your time together.
Stimulate the senses.
Sensory activities are key for people living with dementia. Stimulation can improve their cognitive symptoms and facilitate communication. Seniors living with dementia are often under-stimulated—their overwhelming sense of fear, isolation and confusion will often prevent them from fully experiencing the stimuli around them. So use your holiday visit as an opportunity to play to your loved one’s senses:
- Listen to a holiday concert or carolers.
- Decorate the home with lights and colorful ornaments.
- Bake cookies or have your loved one help you with meal preparations.
Get crafty.
Everyone feels a need to express themselves, but this can become difficult for someone living with cognitive impairments. Art projects and crafts are a great way to encourage those with dementia to express themselves and feel a sense of accomplishment. Crafts are also an opportunity for loved ones with dementia to connect with grandchildren and other young family members. Remember to keep crafts simple:
- Make popsicle Christmas stars.
- Create button snowflake ornaments.
- Stir up memories by creating new decorations from old Christmas cards.
Play games.
Playing games allows for social interaction and mind stimulation—all of which improve cognitive functioning. The best games to engage your loved one with dementia are simple ones that have no time constraints and can be adapted to match cognitive ability:
- Deck of cards match game. Take an old deck of cards, cut each card in half. Have players match the cards, separate by color, separate by design, or play a traditional game of memory.
- What’s in the bag? Facilitate reminiscence for your loved one with this game. Choose a colorful bag and include random objects from the kitchen or household. Players take turns reaching into the bag to try to guess the object they pull, or they can guess what the object is used for, or simply count the number of objects in the bag. To spark your loved ones memories of the past, include unique items that are easily recognizable and are associated with a specific memory.
These are just a few activity ideas that will give your loved one with dementia a chance to recall important memories and traditions of the past and engage with others during holiday gatherings. But above all, remember to focus on what really matters to your loved one with dementia: being included and feeling connected to others. Be sure to make time to just sit, chat and share old stories and photos during your gatherings. The best gift you can give someone with dementia is your time and company!
If there is a topic you would like Alicia to discuss, please send suggestions to [email protected].