Our Beachwood office had a display table and participated in the October 2021 Walk to End Alzheimer’s.
Through that wonderful experience, we worked with Tyler Adams, the Walk’s Director. Since many of our clients are living with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, we asked Tyler to share some activity ideas for those individuals.
Someone living with Alzheimer’s or dementia can still participate in enriching activities to enhance quality of life and reduce activities like wondering or agitation. The Alzheimer’s Association® has outlined the following to help caregivers choose the right activity for their loved ones.
- Keep the person's skills and abilities in mind
- Pay special attention to what the person enjoys
- Be aware of physical problems
- Focus on enjoyment, not achievement
- Encourage involvement in daily life
- Relate activity to work life
- Consider time of day
- Adjust activities to disease stages
If you notice a person's attention span waning or frustration level increasing, it's likely time to make an adjustment.
- Help get the activity started
- Offer support and supervision
- Concentrate on the process, not the result
- Be flexible
- Make the connection
- Don't criticize or correct the person
- Encourage self expression
- Try again later
Visit alz.org/help-support/caregiving for a complete list and information.
