Meaningful Activities for Dementia Sufferers

These will be explained and illustrated below:

Productive

Productive activities are those activities that create a sense of being productive such that the individual feels valued and needed through the process of doing the work. This is important because, as humans, it is in our nature to want and need to matter to others, and it also gives one a sense of purpose and dignity when who I am, what I am, and what I do all matter.

Productive activities could be anything that the individual perceives as being useful and valued, though the ideal activities would relate back to things people did earlier in their life.

Examples include:

• folding laundry
• cleaning a room
• simple meal prep
• doing dishes
• filing papers
• stuffing envelopes
• raking leaves
• planting vegetables
• sorting activities (e.g., silverware)

The key is to give them tasks that will not frustrate them, they can be successful with, and they come away with a sense of contribution and doing something of value. So, for example, in meal preparation, it might be just washing the vegetables or mashing potatoes.

Leisure

These are activities that people do because they like to; they are typically fun and playful or otherwise providing us joy and happiness.

This sort of activity might be passive or active. 

Examples include:

• sitting in the garden in the mid-morning sun
• watching the birds and insects 
• watching old movies or TV shows 
• listening to music
• flipping through a coffee table picture book
• reminisce with old photo albums
• dancing
• singing
• crafts
• drawing
• coloring
• fingerpainting
• collage
• paper mache

The key here, as in all activities, is to first ensure that the activity is something that the individuals can be successful with rather than frustrated and secondly to find the right activities that people will enjoy. Not everyone likes to dance or sing, and likewise, some might not enjoy the crafts.

Self-Care

These activities consist of taking care of (i.e., exercising) our bodies and our minds. This stage of life could leave an individual idle for a large portion of the day, which would be sad, but also unhealthy.

Examples include:

• trivia games
• simple crossword puzzles
• children’s puzzles
• Sometimes, games like Snakes and Ladders, Ludo, etc., help boost an individual’s confidence.
• improvisation
• reading 
• card matching game 
• chair yoga 
• arm lifts 
• therapy pools
• walking

As has been stressed before, the key is to choose activities that the individual can be successful at, so puzzles and games might have to be those that are designed for children.

Restoration and Relaxation 

These activities are commonly over-looked when planning for folks who have dementia. It is important that they have time to unwind and relax their minds and bodies. This alone can prevent a lot of seemingly random outbursts because we forget just how much we do this ourselves. 

Examples include:

• soft relaxation/meditation music
• aromatherapy
• sitting outside
• snoezelen multi-sensory rooms
• sensory pouches

Putting It Into Action

Some activities fall into more than one category at the same time. 

• Decorating Easter baskets or hiding Easter eggs for little children could be productive, leisure, and restorative at the same time.
• The same could be true for making and then putting up simple Christmas ornaments
• Making our bed could be both productive and self-care (of our place).

Some activities might be best for one-on-one time with an individual, such as folding their laundry and putting it away, making their bed, personal hygiene. Other activities could be great for a group, such as trivia games, exercise and stretching, crafts, gardening, and so on.

With just a little research on the Internet, you can come up with a pretty comprehensive list. Stop when you have 15-20 ideas in each category or 60-80 ideas total.

Prioritize the ideas in each category with those activities you think will be most successful, require the least preparation and cost, at the top, then lay them out in a calendar. Save the items towards the bottom of each category as backup alternatives.

Tailoring For Each Individual

Understanding each individual in terms of their history, their skills and interests, their personality, and current physical and cognitive capabilities will allow you to tailor the activities and each individual’s participation and role.  You can further monitor their engagement and enjoyment by knowing how to read their reactions.

Conclusion

As you gain experience, determine which ones are truly the most successful and add more over time for variety, selecting them based on your experience on what works best. Some activities will be specific to a season or a holiday, and others can be repeated fairly often, and some should be repeated with a fair amount of regularity (e.g., rest and self-care).  Refine your schedule of planned activities so that it not only works best for those that you care for, but also ensures some balance of time for yourself as well.

This information was largely derivative of the information provided by Teepa Snow, a widely accepted expert, educator, and spokesperson in the field of dementia care.