Being unable to go out freely because of COVID-19 or having disruptions to an established routine can be stressful, especially for persons with dementia. By including engaging activities in each day, you’ll be able to ease some of their distress and keep them active.
A good range of activities to plan includes a mix of physical activities to help the person with dementia stay active, and activities that stimulate their cognitive abilities, with the addition of recreational activities to help them relax.
ADA has uploaded various stay-home workout videos on its Facebook and YouTube where viewers can follow seated exercises as shown by ADA’s New Horizon Centre staff, accompanied by familiar English, Chinese, and Malay songs. Similarly, SportSG has prepared a variety of videos for sitting and standing exercises which can be suitable for persons with mild to moderate dementia.
Other exercises which aren’t overly strenuous and relatively simple can also be adjusted to be suitable for persons with dementia to follow. Given the physical nature of all these exercises, it’s highly recommended that a caregiver is around to provide supervision and guidance at all times, even if the exercise seems relatively simple. Even better, join in the exercises to keep your loved one motivated and create a bonding opportunity.
Word search and sudoku are excellent activities that provide cognitive stimulation for seniors who enjoy puzzles, but other activities like reminiscence activities are also highly recommended. Other simple games like memory match and solitaire can be good and fun ways to exercise cognitive function in seniors.
It’s also important to set aside some time for recreational activities to help you and your loved ones unwind and just focus on having some time to relax. One such way is to watch and sing-along to ADA’s past Memories Café videos, or check out a variety of simple table-top and art activities that you can try your hand at. Even setting some time aside to listen to oldies that you know your loved one will enjoy is a great recreational activity.
For a list of activities with descriptions on what is needed or who each activity is recommended for that you can get started with, check out our online resource for home-based activities for persons with dementia.
This article is reproduced from the Alzheimer’s Disease Association’s website. For more dementia-related content, visit www.alz.org.sg
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