Ways To Keep A Loved Alzheimer’s Elder Interested

The other day my friend told me that he found it very difficult to keep the elders at home that were afflicted by Alzheimer’s occupied. I shared with him the information that my friend who supplied caregivers for senior care in New York told me. Half the battle was won by mentally stimulating an elder with Alzheimer’s; it not only helped the elder but also the person providing it. You both could get a welcome break with fun by accomplishing it.

Ways to keep a loved elder interested:

• You should set aside a specific time every few days to do activities with such elders; proving to be the highlight of the week, it helps to break the senior’s monotony and also calm them down. As they finally recognize and respond to these activities they would see it as a light at the end of a dark tunnel and would look forward to it.

• Then I told my friend that starting to do activities with an elder with dementia/ Alzheimer’s meant not just being a participant, but also an observer; he/she may not be interested in all the activities and it is quite possible that they fail to recognize their likes and dislikes that they held previously. If they turn away from an activity, it only means they are bored; try some other fun and engaging activity that would be fun to you and the elder.    

• It was time to tell my friend that it was necessary to mentally stimulate and exercise the brain of the affected senior to keep it as sharp and active as possible. However it is best to understand that some form of stimulations are better than others as the mind responds better to some stimuli.

• Colors and puzzles act as great stimuli to the brain; you could keep the elders minds active by allowing them to play with rag dolls or brightly colored balls along with certain activities that exercise them both physically and mentally.  Large sized and colorful jigsaws puzzles of clowns and balloons are not only fun, but would greatly benefit the elder with Alzheimer’s/dementia.

• Outdoor activities especially like walking dogs are perfect activities for the mentally challenged elder; such activities afford them a responsibility and give a meaning to what they are doing and enhance the perception they have of them. Brightening their dark days, dogs are perfect for these activities as they are loving and affectionate. However these activities are to be carried on under close supervision to ensure safety.

Lastly I told my friend to understand the value of both verbal and non-verbal communication; he should be an observer and make sure these activities are interesting and fun to both him and the elder.