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Activities

Content

  1. Organising Activities
  2. Engaging Activities in the Home
  3. Activity Resources
  4. Apps for People Living with Dementia & Carers
  5. Virtual Dementia Hub
  6. Activities for Later Stages of Dementia

Activities can enhance our self- esteem, help us to engage with the world around us and give meaning to our lives.
Activities can provide stimulation and variety and can help people who are living with dementia to remain engaged and included in the world around them. Activities may be structured but may also emerge from day-to-day tasks in and around the home.

Organising Activities

Activities provide a structure for the daily lives of people with dementia, but they may need help organising their days. Activities enable them to retain their life skills and learn some new ones. Exercises done with another person in the home or with others provide opportunities for social interaction.

To ensure activities are suited to a person with dementia, the following should be considered:

The Person

  • What are the person’s likes and dislikes, abilities, and past interests?
  • Is the person able to initiate activities independently?
  • Is the person physically able to do an activity?
  • Does the person have sight, hearing, or perceptual problems that might significantly affect their capacity to undertake an activity?

Over time, dementia can affect a person’s confidence, intellect, memory, thinking logically, and understanding and processing language.

The Activity

Making activities part of the daily routine for the person with dementia is essential. A person with dementia can do a variety of tasks. It does not matter if the job is not completed correctly! Adjustments can be made discreetly later if the table is not fully set or the towels are not folded neatly. As dementia progresses, it may be necessary to change the tasks to more simple, repetitive ones. A successful ‘activity’ may last only a few minutes, depending on the stage of dementia. A few minutes spent on a pleasurable or beneficial activity can bring satisfaction and help the person’s self-esteem.

Family/Carer Input

A family member, friend or carer is vital in prompting the person to do an activity. They can break the action into small manageable parts, assist with complex aspects of a task, and offer encouragement. A person with dementia may respond positively if a specific request for help is made – “ Would you please stir this for me?” or “Please sweep the floor” (while handing a brush to the person). If somebody shares an activity with a person with dementia, it provides an opportunity for social contact and conversation. Some activities provide opportunities for moderate exercise, e.g. standing up to dry dishes, sweeping the floor, or sweeping the path.

What matters is that the person with dementia feels a sense of inclusion in the tasks being done

The Environment

A person with dementia may become uncomfortable, frightened, or confused by the environment if it is too hot, cold,  or noisy or if there are too many people around. A person with dementia may be distracted by excessive background noise from a radio or TV.

Ensure the person with dementia uses safe materials, e.g. non-toxic paints, and avoid sharp tools. The environment can be used to stimulate activities. Indoors, photo albums, old magazines, cards, and household items can be used for activities. Outdoors, light gardening and bird tables can generate activities.

Engaging Activities in the Home

General Home Tasks

General household tasks can provide a variety of activities for the person with dementia. The person may have previously enjoyed household tasks and feel useful if encouraged to do some simple ones. The person might not previously have participated in household tasks or might not have enjoyed them, but would enjoy tasks like watering plants, arranging flowers or feeding pets or birds.

Thinking creatively and adapting to the task is crucial to fit the person’s ability level.

  • Some people with dementia cannot use an electric vacuum cleaner but might find it easy to use a lightweight carpet sweeper.
  • Some tasks, usually done standing up, e.g. drying dishes, can be done sitting down.

Your approach needs to be flexible and realistic, using prompting and encouragement rather than criticism, and correction.

Avoid giving too much supervision and direction. If the person is criticised and corrected, he/she may become reluctant to engage in the activity again. If the floor has to be swept again, it can be done later to avoid drawing attention to a task that has not been done correctly. Some tasks, such as washing and drying dishes or folding sheets, can be joint activities and promote conversation and social contact.

List of possible tasks:

  • Cleaning a window (water and wiper)
  • Re- organising food cupboard
  • Hand washing small items, e.g. socks
  • Setting/ Clearing the table
  • Hanging out the washing
  • Washing/drying dishes
  • Folding sheets/towels (with help)
  • Tidying drawers
  • Sorting/matching socks
  • Arranging flowers
  • Dusting Watering plants/window boxes
  • Sweeping/Mopping floor
  • Feeding pets
  • Using carpet sweeper
  • Stocking a bird table
  • Polishing brass or silver
  • Making a shopping list

It is essential to focus on the benefit of exercise and occupation to the person and the sense of achievement and inclusion that the person can derive from participating in household activity, even if the person can do the task for only a few minutes a few times a day.

People with dementia participate in routine personal care activities, eating and drinking. Still, many may be unable to help with household tasks or undertake intellectual, spiritual, or creative activities.

Importance of exercise suited to the person
Many people do not have the opportunity to do enough exercise. Spending too much time sitting, dozing, or watching television all day may cause them to be restless and wakeful at night.

If there are problems with mobility, exercises in a chair to music suited to that person can be an enjoyable experience.

Walking can include discussing the surrounding countryside or area and people or animals encountered along the way. Even walking around the garden is an opportunity for gentle exercise while conversing about flowers, plants, etc.

Although most people do well with a routine, new activities should occasionally be tried, and activities vary from day to day according to the mood and interest of the person and the weather and season.

Daily Routines

  • Personal Care Activities: bathing, showering, shaving and dressing
  • Mealtime Activities: preparing food, cooking, eating and drinking
  • Household Tasks: dusting, sweeping, cleaning worktops, washing or sorting socks or folding towels.

Other types of Activities

Physical: taking a walk, dancing, light gardening

Social: having tea/coffee, attending a family gathering, talking or playing cards or bingo, reminiscing with a friend or neighbour

Intellectual: reading a book or magazine or doing a crossword puzzle

Spiritual: praying, listening to religious service, singing a hymn

Creative: painting, using pottery clay, playing a musical instrument, creating a Life Story Book with family help

Relaxing: resting, looking out the window, petting an animal, having a foot bath or hand massage

Spontaneous: going on a picnic or visiting friends

Apps for People Living with Dementia & Carers

Many apps are available to help people with dementia live more independently. These apps include reminiscence, brain training, puzzles, medicine reminder apps, apps that alert a carer if the user falls or wanders, and reminders that alert you to complete or undertake a task

You can contact your local Memory Technology Resource Room (MTRR)  to book an appointment to see the different apps available. Click HERE to find your local MTRR

Virtual Dementia Hub

Our Virtual Dementia Hub is available online HERE and has lots of activities and games, mindfulness recordings, music and cooking ideas.

Activities for Later Stages of Dementia

Sensory stimulation given with a warm and gentle approach may be enjoyable for someone with dementia, even if he/she cannot respond verbally and is not physically active. These activities can be enjoyed at any stage but particularly as dementia progresses.

Listening to familiar music, being read to from favourite books or poetry collections, having prayers said, looking at family photographs, watching babies or young children or animals, smelling flowers, eating small tasty treats, and feeling a variety of different fabrics, objects, and soft toys are also enjoyable experiences.

Personal care activities that involve touching, such as gentle brushing of hair, using a foot spa, and having a neck or hand massage with scented oils or lotions, may also be soothing and comforting to a person with dementia.

Need help?
Call the National Helpline
1800 341 341
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