Understanding What do people with dementia enjoy? Finding meaningful activities

According to the Alzheimer's Association, finding meaningful engagement can significantly improve the mood and well-being of individuals with cognitive decline. This guide explores what do people with dementia enjoy, providing compassionate strategies to reconnect and share joyful moments with your loved one, regardless of their stage.

Quick Summary

Individuals with dementia often find joy in familiar routines, sensory experiences, music, reminiscing, and simple, calming activities adapted to their abilities. The key is a person-centered approach that focuses on their past interests and current comfort levels, not on complex tasks.

Key Points

• Focus on sensory engagement: Simple activities that engage touch, sound, smell, sight, and taste can be very comforting and familiar for people with dementia.

• Prioritize music and art: Music from their youth and uncomplicated art projects, like coloring or simple painting, are powerful tools for expression and mood boosting.

• Incorporate familiar routines: Folding laundry, setting the table, or other purposeful, repetitive tasks can provide a sense of usefulness and calm.

• Embrace reminiscence without pressure: Look at old photos or memory boxes to spark positive emotions and connections, but avoid quizzing them or correcting their stories.

• Adapt activities to their stage: Match the complexity of the activity to the person's current cognitive ability to prevent frustration and ensure enjoyment.

• Keep it person-centered: Always let the individual's interests and reactions guide your activity choices. What brings them joy is unique to them.

Focusing on Familiarity and Sensory Comfort

Caring for someone with dementia means shifting the focus from complex tasks to simple, comforting activities. What a person with dementia enjoys is less about challenging the mind and more about nurturing the spirit. Activities that engage the senses—sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell—often resonate deeply and can trigger positive emotions and memories, even when language fails.

Engaging the Senses through Daily Life

Sensory activities can be woven into everyday life effortlessly. These are often the most rewarding for both the person with dementia and their caregiver, as they are based on comfort and connection rather than achievement.

• Touch: Offer soft blankets, textured fabrics, or a gentle hand massage with scented lotion. Sorting buttons or playing with worry beads can also be calming.
• Smell: Bake familiar cookies or bread, use aromatherapy with relaxing scents like lavender, or bring fresh flowers into the room. The scent of a favorite perfume or aftershave can evoke strong memories.
• Sound: Play their favorite music from their youth. Listening to calming nature sounds like rain or birdsong can be very soothing. The rhythm of singing along to familiar tunes is a powerful mood booster.
• Sight: Sit by a window to watch birds, people, or changing leaves. Look through old photo albums, focusing on the feelings the pictures evoke rather than the specific details. Watching nature documentaries or classic, lighthearted films can also be engaging.
• Taste: Prepare a favorite meal or snack. Sweet flavors are often appealing, but ensure nutritional needs are met. Simple afternoon tea or a refreshing cold drink can be a pleasant, sensory experience.

Reminiscence and Connection: More than just Memories

Sharing memories is a powerful way to connect, but it's important to remember that the goal is not to test their memory. The focus should be on the positive emotions and stories that arise. Reminiscence therapy can help reinforce a person’s sense of identity and offer a feeling of value.

Activities for Recalling the Past

• Create a memory box: Fill a box with personal treasures like old postcards, jewelry, military medals, or objects from a former hobby. Handling these objects can spark recognition and conversation.
• Look at photo albums or scrapbooks: Go through old family photos. Tell stories about the pictures and people, even if they don't remember all the details. Focus on the positive feelings.
• Watch old home videos: Videos of past holidays, birthdays, and special occasions can be a heartwarming experience, allowing both of you to revisit joyful moments.
• Discuss past life milestones: Ask open-ended questions about their childhood, pets, school, or first job. The key is to avoid correcting inaccuracies and simply enjoy the shared discovery.

Creative and Physical Engagement for All Stages

Keeping the body and mind gently active can improve overall well-being. These activities should be tailored to the individual's abilities and energy levels, which may fluctuate from day to day.

Nurturing Creativity and Movement

• Arts and crafts: Use simple supplies like watercolor paints, finger paints, or modeling clay. Focus on the process, not the final product. Creating collages with magazine cutouts is also a great option for hand-eye coordination.
• Gardening: Simple tasks like watering plants, arranging silk flowers, or working in a raised garden bed provides sensory input and a sense of purpose.
• Gentle exercise: Go for a short, daily walk, do chair yoga, or try simple hand exercises. Dancing to music from their era can boost mood and increase circulation.
• Purposeful chores: Simple, repetitive tasks like folding laundry, matching socks, or wiping down a table can be comforting and provide a feeling of usefulness.

Adapting Activities to Different Dementia Stages

As dementia progresses, activities will need to be simplified. What works in the early stages may be too complex later on. A person-centered approach means continuously adapting to their changing needs.

Activity Type	Early Stage	Middle Stage	Late Stage
Cognitive	Card games (Uno), complex puzzles, discussions of current events	Simple memory games (Block Tapping), sorting items by color or size, photo album review	Sensory engagement, holding familiar objects, aromatherapy
Creative	Scrapbooking, painting a picture, knitting/crocheting	Magazine collages, decorating cookies, flower arranging	Handling soft fabrics, finger painting, listening to music
Physical	Daily walks, gentle exercise classes, gardening, Tai Chi	Chair exercises, balloon batting, short walks with a purpose	Hand/foot massages, slow stretching, soft brushing of hair
Social	Small, quiet social gatherings with friends or family	One-on-one visits with a caregiver or trusted friend	Comforting one-on-one presence, holding hands, listening to music together

Developing a Plan for Meaningful Moments

1. Observe and personalize: Pay close attention to what your loved one enjoys and their reactions. What makes them smile or seem relaxed? What are their past hobbies or passions? Use this to tailor activities specifically to them.
2. Keep it simple: Break activities into small, manageable steps. Avoid complex instructions or tasks that could lead to frustration. If an activity isn’t working, don’t push it; simply move on to something else.
3. Create a routine: A predictable daily structure can be very comforting for someone with dementia. Try to schedule engaging activities for times of day when they are typically most alert and happy.
4. Manage expectations: The goal is connection and enjoyment, not perfection. Celebrate small successes and focus on the shared experience, not the outcome. The quality of the interaction is what matters most.
5. Prioritize safety: Always consider their safety. If an activity involves cooking, ensure it is fully supervised. If walking, choose a safe, familiar route. The environment should be calm and free of overstimulation.

Conclusion

Discovering what people with dementia enjoy requires empathy, patience, and a person-centered approach. By focusing on sensory experiences, fostering connection through reminiscence, and offering tailored creative and physical activities, caregivers can help create moments of joy, purpose, and peace. The emotional engagement and connection shared are what truly matter, transcending the challenges of memory loss and celebrating the person within. For further support and resources, visit the Alzheimer's Association website.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some simple sensory activities for a person with late-stage dementia?

Simple sensory activities for late-stage dementia include gentle hand massages with lotion, brushing their hair, providing a soft textured blanket, listening to calming music, or offering a warm washcloth for their hands. Focus on comfort and touch.

How can I engage a person with dementia who has trouble communicating?

Engagement for those with communication difficulties can focus on non-verbal cues. Use music, familiar visual aids like photo albums, offer favorite snacks, or involve them in a simple, quiet activity like sorting objects. Your calm and reassuring presence is also a form of engagement.

What if a person with dementia becomes agitated during an activity?

If agitation occurs, stop the activity immediately. Provide reassurance, speak in a calm voice, and move to a quiet space. The activity may have been too complex, too stimulating, or poorly timed. Try again later with a simpler task or at a different time of day.

Are there activities a person with dementia can do with their grandchildren?

Yes, intergenerational activities are wonderful. Simple, fun options include looking at family photos, playing a simple card game like Go Fish, decorating cookies, or blowing bubbles outdoors. The key is keeping it low-pressure and joyful.

How can I use music to engage a loved one with dementia?

Create a playlist of music from their youth. Sing along, clap your hands, or encourage them to sway to the rhythm. Music often accesses different parts of the brain than memory, so it can evoke strong, positive emotions and memories, even in later stages.

How do I choose the right activity for my loved one with dementia?

The best way to choose an activity is to start with their past interests and adapt them to their current abilities. For example, a former gardener might enjoy watering plants, or a former baker might enjoy decorating pre-baked cookies. Always observe their reaction and be flexible.

Why is touch so important for people with dementia?

Touch can be incredibly powerful for providing comfort and connection, especially when verbal communication is difficult. A gentle hand massage, a hug, or a comforting hand on the shoulder can convey love and security, reducing anxiety and agitation.