Care Home Activities For Dementia Residents
Dementia & Activities
Activities are really important for people with dementia. Meaningful activities not only provide an element of fun and interest to their day, but they also have a positive impact on cognitive health.
What Kind Of Activities Do Care Homes Offer For Dementia Patients?
Planning activities that are entertaining and also have an element of cognitive exercise are really important. You could expect to get involved in things like:
- Gardening
- Writing & Reading
- Arts & Crafts
- Animal Therapy
- Puzzles & Jigsaws
- Music Therapy
Physical Activity To Stay Active
Engaging activities like day trips out or gardening is a well-loved day for residents with dementia and our care team. Our residents have been involved in gardening, choosing plants, trips to garden centres, and helping to put together pieces in our home's garden. These creative activities give residents a healthy bit of fresh air and sun and boost brain health by putting memory to work. At the end of our gardening projects, residents get to walk around and enjoy the personal touches they have been able to make at their home.
Writing And Reading
Writing and reading have a major effect on cognitive abilities. We like to get our residents to put pen to paper and write down in creative writing sessions. We also keep a well-stocked library. Using creative skills also breaks up the day and many residents enjoy the chance to express themselves and record some of their thoughts and feelings.
Arts and Crafts
Another great activity for mental wellbeing is an arts and crafts session. Our arts and crafts sessions include painting, drawing, and sketching. Throughout the year we'll add some themes that relate to the holidays - like cards for Valentine's Day and Easter, gifts for Christmas, and much more.
If you have a family member who is also a dementia patient, introducing some painting and art-related activities can help stimulate memory and improve cognitive skills.
Animal Therapy
Animal therapy or pet therapy are stimulating activities for a person living with dementia. Playing with an animal is an easily accessible way to add fun sensory stimulation to someone's day. At Bothwell Castle, we've brought in animals like alpacas, dogs, and chicks for residents to play with. An easier way to do this at home is to bring your or a friend's pet for a family member with dementia to interact with.
People affected with dementia can find playing with and even taking care of an animal strong sensory activities that improve wellbeing.
Puzzles & Jigsaws
A picture puzzle is a fun activity that gets the brain working and helps combat memory loss. Depending on how dementia progresses, people living with dementia can find activities like puzzles and jigsaws a great way to engage with others. Sit down with a loved one and get some puzzles or board games for quality time that helps engage the mind.
Music Therapy
Music is another great way to engage the brain. Music activities can be as simple as listening to your favourite songs but could also be playing music as part of an activity, or watching and talking to musicians who give our residents a performance.
Play Dough & Modeling Clay
Play dough and modelling clay can be a great way to reduce stress and engage residents. This a really accessible way to give people with dementia fun sensory experiences. Using clay to create can boost mood as well as improve memory skills. We find residents benefit from interactive activities where they use their hands.
Photo Albums
To create a photo album or simply going through an existing one can trigger memories and benefit people with dementia. Talk through a loved one's unique past and engage with the photos of their life as an interesting way to engage in memory care.
At Bothwell Castle Care Home near Glasgow, we create a memory box with each resident, including details and photos of their life. These boxes also have the benefit of helping residents find their rooms should they ever get lost.
Yoga & Tai Chi
Yoga and Tai Chi help people with dementia stay active and thanks to the slow speed of yoga can be easy to follow. Yoga can reduce stress, improve mood, and focus. These are great activities for dementia and can help meet a loved one's unique needs.
Video calls & Online games
Maybe you have a family member with dementia, but unfortunately, you live a long way away and can't be there in person for tasks. In this case, video calls are a great way to talk to a person and help their brain stay active. Another way to help a loved one stay active is to play online games with them. Games like online Scrabble, Battleship, or Monopoly can be easily played from a phone or computer, and are great activities for dementia.
Sense of self
Whether your loved one with dementia is in the early stages or late stages, helping them keep their sense of self is really important. Try the following activities:
- Talking to them about their memories and drawing or painting the memories.
- Keeping their self-care up so they are dressed and groomed to their usual standard.
- Listening to their favourite songs they have strong memories of. See how many songs you can connect over.
- Giving them a task to stimulate their mind.
- Have family help with everyday tasks they may not be able to complete themselves, like housework, cleaning, or folding laundry.
Care homes for people with dementia
Bothwell Castle offers many activities for dementia residents. We strive to make life as fulfilling as possible, with expert dementia and memory care. If you think your loved one could benefit from a more supported life in care, get in touch to find out more.
To see more activities for dementia we offer at Bothwell Castle, keep your eyes on our 'Events & News' page.
