What do gardening, cooking, and pet therapy all have in common? Besides being fun and enjoyable, they’re all activities for memory care, and seniors in assisted living can benefit greatly from them.
Residents in assisted living can benefit from improved cognitive function when engaging in memory care activities. Additionally, they work to improve communication skills. This makes daily activities more enjoyable for the elderly.
Here’s how to tailor activities for memory care.
Memory Care Activity Benefits
Memory care activities can reduce loneliness as they facilitate and promote better communication. These activities also promote a healthy sense of self-worth.
Even better, customized memory care activities can lead to less reliance on medications. They may also help to reduce the incidence of more common symptoms of dementia.
The wonderful thing about memory care activities is that everyone can participate in them. For example, a resident’s loved ones can become involved with these activities, taking an interest in their family member’s hobbies.
When performed in an assisted living community, trained professionals coordinate these activities. They provide support, encouragement, and supervision, ensuring residents are safe and well cared for.
Different Types of Activities
Memory care activities come in all shapes and sizes. When selecting the best activity for a resident, look for options that meet their personal interests. Some examples of memory care activities include:
- Music therapy
- Art therapy
- Gardening
- Bingo
- Puzzles and other games
- Cooking classes
- Walking and light outdoor exercise
- Movies
- Pet therapy
If you try one activity that is not right for your residents, you can tailor it to meet their needs. Create an activity calendar to see what suits their personality.
Music Therapy
Music therapy is essential to recall memories. When listening to certain songs, can summon certain memories or rouse certain feelings in residents, offering them comfort and tranquility.
When they hear a familiar song, they may have an improvement in cognitive ability. Encourage residents to engage with the music, working to improve their overall mood.
Ask family members what songs are their favorites. This can be live music or something already recorded. You can even encourage residents to sing along or dance. Consider offering instruments to further advance the experience and to reduce stress.
Art Therapy
Art therapy is another great means of helping residents to express themselves and communicate with others. The type of medium used varies on personal preference. Encourage residents to:
- Draw pictures of the world around them
- Paint a beautiful landscape or something else they love
- Make collages using a variety of materials
With art therapy, the sky is the limit. It might take a few tries to find what type of art project your residents enjoy, so they have several options available for them to choose from. Even better, residents can create together, promoting memory care patient engagement and reducing stress and anxiety.
Gardening
Gardening is a beloved pastime, with 55% of American households participating in this activity (RubyHome). Older adults in assisted living communities benefit from gardening as a wonderful type of memory care activity.
This includes:
- Planting seeds and other plants
- Tending to a garden (watering it)
- Harvesting different kinds of flowers and plants
Seniors can use these activities as an opportunity to engage with other community members and build friendships.
Bingo
Other activities for dementia patients include Bingo. It’s great for cognitive function, assisting the elderly with exercising their brain. Numbers are quickly called out, which means residents need to swiftly locate the corresponding space.
This fun and enjoyable game works to sharpen a person’s memory and is great for all residents. If the numbers are called too quickly, it can easily be slowed down for the comfort and convenience of all participants.
Puzzles and Other Games
Although Bingo is a great memory care activity, there are other games to enjoy. For example, puzzles and trivia games are perfect for older adults. These games call on a person’s attention, memory, and ability to solve problems.
Puzzles can range in size and difficulty, creating tailored activities for Alzheimer’s patients.
Cooking classes
Cooking classes are another excellent way of helping older adults connect and interact. While cooking, residents in assisted living communities can stimulate their senses while focusing on easy and nutritious dishes. Since staff members assist, each resident will participate in a safe and nurturing environment.
Additionally, cooking classes are wonderful for enhancing memory care living, accommodating dietary restrictions for everyone in senior living communities.
Walking and Other Light Exercise
Physical activity is great for people of all ages, especially older adults. According to Harvard Health, exercise works to improve a person’s memory and can improve sleep and mood. From there, you may notice a reduction in anxiety and stress.
Seniors benefit from a variety of memory care activities, including chair yoga and water aerobics. Exercise should improve a person’s balance while incorporating light strength training.
Movies
Movie night is ideal for residents in assisted living. They benefit from familiar movies in an environment they’re comfortable with, stimulating memories.
Movies can be tailored to match the time of year or special occasions, making this a versatile memory care activity. Even better, residents can socialize during movies, making this an activity designed to promote relaxation and comfort.
Pet Therapy
According to data from The Zebra, 74% of people with pets report seeing an improvement in their mental health. Although seniors in Dorset Place can have a pet, not every resident will.
Pet therapy is available for residents, providing companionship and comfort. Both dogs and cats are wonderful for this type of therapy. If a resident is allergic to one animal, they can visit with the pet that best suits their needs.
When residents engage in pet therapy, they benefit from improved mood while interacting with others. Any resident who needs physical activity might benefit from engaging with a pet.
The Best Activities for Memory Care
When selecting activities for memory care, remember to switch things up. Just because a resident enjoys cooking classes doesn’t mean they won’t also enjoy gardening, so offer all seniors a variety of activities.
Remember to be flexible with each activity, making modifications as needed. Location Info Dorset Place Assisted Living & Memory Care in Oklahoma City has the best of both worlds: assisted living and memory care. Contact us today to learn more about our community of thriving seniors.
