8 Engaging Activities for Your Senior Loved One with Alzheimer’s

When providing care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s, it’s important to keep them engaged and stimulated with activities they enjoyed before their diagnosis. This not only enhances their quality of life, but also provides a meaningful and fun way to connect with the people they care about. Finding ways to engage, reminisce, or improve cognitive health can be a great way to connect with your loved one.

Depending on which stage of Alzheimer’s disease your loved one is facing, activities they used to enjoy may become more challenging to participate in. As a caregiver, you can adapt activities to make them easier and more enjoyable based on your loved one’s abilities and needs. Each of these engaging activities can be tailored to help build a stimulating environment for your loved one.

Personalizing Activities for Adults with Alzheimer’s

When considering activities for your loved one, it’s essential to focus on their hobbies and interests. While one activity might be entertaining to some older adults, another may be more engaging for others. It’s far more likely your loved one will engage with games and projects that align with their passions.

For example, if your loved one disliked puzzle games but was an avid gardener, they will be far more interested in potting flowers with you than filling out a crossword puzzle. It’s important to encourage your loved one to participate in activities they enjoy for as long as they can – adapting the activity as their cognitive and physical abilities change as their dementia becomes more advanced.

Adjust activities to suit your loved one’s current abilities. If your loved one used to play golf, they might enjoy a mini-putting set or a leisurely ride around their home course. While it may not be the exact same as hitting the links themselves, they can still participate in a meaningful way that keeps them engaged. With a little creative thinking, you’ll soon find ways to personalize activities to fit your loved one’s passions and skills.

Alzheimer’s Activities to Engage with Your Loved One

Play a Board Game

Board games are a great way to encourage critical thinking and brain stimulation. Incorporating board games and similar activities into your loved one’s daily life will provide them with both social and mental stimulation – helping to hinder the impact of Alzheimer’s on their cognitive abilities.

Games to consider include card games like “Go Fish”, classic board games such as Scrabble and Checkers, and interactive games like Connect Four and Yahtzee. Feel free to include games your loved one was fond of before their diagnosis. In general, the more visual the activity is, the better.

Paint or Craft

If your loved one has been a lifelong artist or crafter, encourage them to express their creativity through a painting or craft piece. Using art as a form of therapy can help to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression – playing an important role in slowing cognitive decline. For seniors who love crafts, activities involving different textures, such as playing with clay, offer tactile stimulation which has been shown to improve cognitive memory.

Cook a Meal Together

Food is a critical part of our daily lives and culture – that connection does not disappear after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Food is often connected to important memories of family gatherings and special occasions. If your loved one used to cook for your family, consider bringing them to the kitchen to help prepare a simple meal or dessert that has meaning to them. Be sure to keep their tasks simple and provide plenty of encouraging feedback to help them feel accomplished.

Reminisce Using Photo Albums

An easy yet heartwarming activity to do with your loved one is to revisit old photo albums together. Looking through these rich memories from their younger years will help bring back treasured memories that they might have forgotten about. Whether you’re using a virtual catalog or a physical album, encourage your loved one to lead – allowing them to spend as much time as they like reliving a certain memory. If your loved one is having trouble remembering certain events, be sure to prompt them with anecdotes or stories that might help keep them engaged.

Listen to Their Favorite Music 

Another activity that promotes nostalgia and recognition is listening to music from your loved one’s favorite artists. This approach not only encourages them to share stories from their past related to specific songs and artists, but it also fosters a pleasant and comfortable atmosphere for them to relax in.

We encourage you to sing and dance together if you are able. While this might feel silly at first, it will help promote recollection and will keep your loved one engaged. To get them even more excited, consider showing them live performances or music videos of their favorite artists.

Maintain a Garden

If your loved one was an avid gardener, consider maintaining a garden together. Gardening is a wonderful activity for individuals with Alzheimer’s because it promotes mental and physical stimulation. Gardening helps reduce stress and prevents behavioral challenges in adults with Alzheimer’s.

Participate in Gentle Exercise

Physical activity is just as important for individuals with dementia as it is for other older adults. Many memory care communities offer gentle exercise programs tailored to the needs of residents. This ranges from chair exercises and stretching to modified yoga. Regular exercise is critical for older adults as it helps to improve balance and strengthens important muscles that reduce the risk of falling. 

If your loved one is aging in place, consider finding alternative exercise classes that can meet their unique needs. If none are available in your area, you can find gentle exercise activities online to help guide them through.

Engage in Sensory Stimulation

If your loved one is not interested in the tactile nature of crafts, there are additional ways to encourage them to engage in sensory stimulation. You can help create sensory spaces or gardens where your loved one can experience various textures, scents, and sounds. These types of environments are designed to promote relaxation, improve focus, and encourage positive memories.

Memory Care Options for Seniors with Alzheimer’s

Engaging your loved one with their favorite activities that provide mental stimulation can help slow the onset of some elements of Alzheimer’s disease and create enjoyable memories along the way. While there is no cure for dementia, you can continue to ensure your loved one knows they are cared for. 

Being a full-time caregiver for a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s disease can feel overwhelming. The level of care needed for someone with Alzheimer’s is more than many family members can take on. Know that there are different forms of professional support to help ensure that your loved one gets the care they need to live their best life.

National Church Residences is the nation’s largest non-profit provider of senior housing in the country with more than 300 housing communities in 25 states – including memory care facilities for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Find a community that’s close to you or give us a call at 844-465-6063 to talk to one of our friendly staff members today.

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