Having dementia doesn’t mean staying stuck at home watching a changing world go by.
You can still go out and enjoy all the things you love. Keeping active both physically and mentally will help your dementia and improve your well-being.
If you are caring for someone who has dementia then you can do it together and make some quality time together.
Activities may take longer than they used to as the dementia progresses especially if it’s a new activity but it’s still worth making the effort.
What community activities are good for people with dementia?
- Dancing, yoga, swimming or walking is good sociable activities that will keep you active. Local dementia friendly groups will have details of activities in the area.
- Art is a good way of not only expressing yourself but also keeps you relaxed.
- Drama groups are fun and keep you mixing with others and working together, many local communities have drama groups and love welcoming new members.
- Memory books are a great way of sharing life experiences and stories of the past with photos, objects, it can be made into a book that can be easily picked up or depending on technological knowhow it can be created onto a digital device. Going to the library to find articles of things that happened as they were growing up will be a talking point.
- Singing – joining a choir or singing in church is a lovely activity – many people with dementia love to sing and helps to relax them.
Outside activities
During the warmer months its so nice to be outside, but finding small activities to do can be hard to think about, obviously you can take a walk, but going to the park watching the dogs or feeding the birds can make the walk more fulfilling.
Gardening -make up little pots with flowers or veg and tending to them can give someone with dementia purpose and they feel useful, plus they also get to enjoy watching things grow.
Sweeping paths or raking leaves is a simple activity that can be therapeutic, gives a little exercise and plenty of fresh air.
Set up a picnic on the grass and enjoy the sandwiches that they have helped make.
Visiting a beach, building a sand castle and eating an ice cream looking out to sea, is a lovely warmer weather outing.
Inside activities
Listening to music is always a great activity for someone with dementia – especially their favourite songs.
Baking a cake or making biscuits.
Making models from playdoh or painting, art is a good way for someone with dementia to express themselves.
Play a game, dominos, cards or even chess whatever their favourite game may be, its about the interaction, maybe even doing a jigsaw puzzle – this is something they can come back to bit by bit.
Read a book – reading a book to them if they are unable to read it for themselves or even put on an audible book.
Activities for the later stages of dementia
When people are in the later stages with dementia they can still engage with activities.
However, the activities should be simple and focus on the senses like -sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell.
Playing music, having objects to touch and interact with can all help someone with dementia, these can be simple items that are easy to hold, something like a stress ball or a soft cloth. A hand massage is a relaxing sensory activity for both the person with dementia and the carer.
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