Dementia diseases are a common problem that occurs in the elderly. How to help such a person and encourage him to be active both physically and mentally?
The most difficult part of getting seniors active is getting them interested and motivated to do something. Exercise, both physical and brain-stimulating, can be tailored to any age or health condition. The basis is the willingness to exercise and work on one’s well-being.
For people suffering from senile dementia or struggling with the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, simple home activities can be a big help in the activation process. They help not only to catch the daily rhythm, take care of the space around them, perform simple movements of the whole body, but also to stimulate the work of both brain hemispheres. Specialists recommend many household activities, such as folding laundry, vacuuming, dusting, arranging things in cabinets or on shelves. Simple activities activate the whole body and force the senior citizen to think about the activities performed, improving the ability to concentrate.
One of the most popular activities to help people with dementia is to prepare a special box of memories. Such a collection should include the most valuable family mementos, photographs or postcards. It is worth regularly discussing with the senior each item from the box. Systematic recall of the same stories will help preserve them.
Some methods based on the memory box are based on writing down specific slogans or names of family members and friends on cards. This way, in addition to recalling specific events, seniors can also practice the game of association and better connect individual facts.
Another way to stimulate the brain function of a senior suffering from dementia is to put puzzles together. The level of difficulty should be adjusted according to the client’s condition. The better he can cope with simple puzzles, the sooner you can try to put together more complicated variants. Some seniors also like to prepare their own puzzles. To do this, choose a favorite landscape or photo together, print it out, laminate it, and then cut it into puzzle shapes.
Numerous scientific studies on the aging process of the brain show that board games can be one of the more effective methods to keep the brain working properly. It is known that a senior citizen will not be able to play an elaborate role-playing board game for several hours, but this type of activity can be an interesting pastime.
For those suffering from dementia, popular games, which are most often entertaining for the youngest, will definitely work better. According to experts, Chinese or checkers can work great. Some also recommend uncomplicated card games such as Macau, war or rummy for variety.
main photo: unsplash.com/micheile dot com
