Small family entertainment activities to help elderly people with dementia spend their old age

Dementia can be understood as the continuous decline of cognitive functions that were originally developed normally, the emergence of various cognitive disorders, and the inconvenience of daily life and social activities. It is a topic that is actively discussed and studied by nursing homes all over the world. Foreign researchers have put various research results into practice and continuously optimized and improved them, accumulating a lot of experience in caring for the elderly with dementia and preventing their condition from developing and worsening. Today, I will share some entertainment activities suitable for patients with dementia.

Recreational activities can bring happiness to the elderly, improve their mood, and give them "enthusiasm" and "confidence", while physical and mental function training can also restore their opportunities for continuous communication. These effects will complement each other, improve the elderly's own abilities, improve their quality of life, and have a good effect on preventing and delaying dementia.

Characteristics of recreational activities for patients with dementia

1. Make activities in line with personal interests. For patients with dementia whose brains are easily fatigued and easily affected by surrounding stimulation, entertainment activities may not be easy to carry out. This requires caregivers to explore activities that the elderly are interested in and make them willing to participate in the activities in order to achieve better results.

2. Don’t set a strict time. No matter how happy the activity is, for patients with dementia whose brains are easily fatigued, long-term continuation is the root cause of fatigue. Let the elderly rest when they want to, and don’t be bound by time. 3. It is best to find such entertainment methods to enhance self-confidence by giving full play to the strengths of the elderly. It is important for elderly people with dementia to remember the past through familiar and nostalgic activities, and then realize that they can do things now, and affirm their lifestyle and abilities so far. 4. Record every wonderful moment. It is very painful and sad for the person to forget what happened due to memory impairment. However, if you leave beautiful works through entertainment and make photos or videos of your happy appearance, you can look back on it later. This can be a proof that you are alive, and it can also be an important memory shared with others.

Recreational activities for people with dementia

1. Memory therapy. People with dementia remember things that happened a long time ago very clearly. Therefore, there is a memory therapy that uses photos, music, etc. as clues to recall the past. Sharing memories with people of the same generation or conveying memories to people younger than oneself are opportunities for people with dementia to regain lost memories.

2. Singing and music activities: songs that were popular in the youth of the elderly, nursery rhymes that were sung when raising children, and love songs from the past. Singing and listening to those songs will make for a very happy time. In addition, a nostalgic ballad can sometimes be an opportunity to bring back the memory and vitality of the elderly. In addition, people who play musical instruments can also try playing musical instruments. This is because playing musical instruments is not easily lost due to dementia and is one of the abilities that the body can remember.

3. Handicraft Handicraft includes card making, paper cutting, baking, flower arranging and other manual activities. These activities have one thing in common, which is that they require the use of hands and eyes and are completed step by step according to the process. This is a great stimulation for training the brain of individuals with dementia. If you can continue to be patient and focused for a period of time, it will also be very helpful for the emotional stability of individuals with dementia. The finished product will also enhance the individual's sense of ability and accomplishment in completing the task.

4. Doing housework Cooking is also a great activity that allows you to remember things with your body and gives you a sense of accomplishment. In the process of cooking, you can recall the memories of cooking for your children, and you can also feel the passing of time and seasons through cooking. In addition, the fun of eating together cannot be forgotten. Housework such as washing dishes, preparing dishes, and doing laundry can also be used as entertainment. People with dementia often feel that they are useless to others, so this is also an activity to help them rediscover their self-worth.

5. Number games Mathematical games can be direct addition, subtraction, multiplication and division calculations, or they can be played with playing cards or number puzzles to make the game more interesting. By playing mathematical games, the brain's reaction, thinking and analysis can be stimulated, which can maintain the analytical thinking of individuals with dementia. Studies have shown that although dementia is irreversible, if individuals with dementia can receive timely professional care and adequate functional training in the mild stage, the development of their symptoms can be well delayed and the original quality of life can be maintained for a longer period of time, which is very important for individuals with dementia.

6. Functional exercise can improve the physical and mental health of elderly people with dementia, reduce agitated behavior, and is an excellent non-drug treatment. Exercise can reduce the risk of falls, improve sleep, strength, flexibility and blood circulation, and enhance the mood and self-confidence of the elderly. These benefits can reduce the agitated behavior of the elderly, such as restlessness, hallucinations, and sleep interruptions. Functional exercises include brain-enhancing finger exercises, oral exercises, and fall prevention exercises. These exercises do not require professional facilities and equipment and can be carried out at home. Brain-enhancing finger exercises mainly stimulate brain nerves, promote blood circulation, and delay brain aging through finger activity training.

(1) Finger Exercises: Step 1: Stretch out your hands and tap each finger against each other. Step 2: Tap each finger against the thumb. Step 3: Cross your hands and clasp them together. Step 4: Retract your fingers one by one, then stretch them out again.

(2) Oral exercises should be performed before every meal to improve oral activity, stimulate appetite, and prevent choking. Oral exercises have a total of 6 sections, each with 4 8-beats. Section 1: Teeth tapping. Section 2: Tongue rolling. Section 3: Breathing. Section 4: Tongue extension. Section 5: Pronunciation exercises pa\ta\ka\la. Section 6: Massage of salivary glands. The elderly can follow the caregiver to exercise, because many elderly people with dementia find it difficult to start activities on their own and cannot remember the content of the exercises. The caregiver demonstrates the movements, slows down as needed, and provides assistance when needed. Letting the elderly imitate can reduce their psychological pressure and make them more relaxed, and the caregiver can also use this opportunity to get their body active. These home activities are simple and convenient, and are very suitable for home caregivers of individuals with dementia to accompany and lead the individuals with dementia at home!

(Pictures from the Internet)