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Activities for Alzheimer's Patients

Mukta Gaikwad
Alzheimer's disease is the worst thing that can ever happen to anyone. Read on to know about some activities for Alzheimer's patients, that are stimulate the thinking capacity and slow the degeneration process.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. This disease is named after Alois Alzheimer, who discovered it in 1906. This degenerative and an incurable Alzheimer's disease occurs amongst people aged above 65 years.
Families, relatives and friends know that taking care of such patients is challenging. Spending everyday with them is demanding in terms of looking after their safety, addressing new issues and dealing with their growing frustration. Activities for Alzheimer's patients are meant to keep them engaged in productive ways to help them cope with the disease.

Crosswords and Puzzles

Introducing Alzheimer patients to simple and easy crosswords (with a large font) is a great intellectual stimulation. Engaging them to a regular mental activity, flexes their brain and can, to a certain extent, prevent the disease from pervading.
Also, mental exercises, reduce the risk of developing such neurodegenerative diseases. Crosswords and puzzles, are cognitive activities that helps in preventing memory loss and dementia.

Craft Ideas

Some of the recreational activities include craft ideas, like scrapbooking, sorting out the photographs, making a collage, writing notes to relatives, and posting notes.
While trying out some craft ideas with dementia patients, make sure you choose an activity that is less complex. For instance, if you are making a collage, let a dementia patient only paste in a guided sequence.
If you make them cut the paper pieces, draw and add more activities, as they are likely to get frustrated and express a long-lasting bout of anger. Thus, be very patient, and avoid any complications while working with such patients.

Reading and Comprehension

Reading and comprehension are some good activities for these patients. Read out loud to them, or let them read it aloud. Once you have finished reading, try comprehending through questions. Preferably, use a book that has pictures in them, so that the patient has a visual impact too.
Reading with the patients, is also a way of bonding with them. Spending time with such patients, through various activities, helps these patients to remember you better through association and the activities you do together.

Household Chores

Household chores, like cleaning the room, organizing the room, washing dishes, laying the table, drying clothes, and washing them are activities that help these patients cope with life on a day-to-day basis.
Doing this on a routine basis, will help them remember the necessary things, like where are the clothes kept, where is the TV remote, where is the washing machine and so on. However, do keep in mind the safety factor while doing such activities with Alzheimer's patients.

Gardening

There is nothing more relaxing and rewarding as gardening. Gardening is a brilliant activity that you can do with Alzheimer's patients.
Helping them do small activities like pulling out weed, sowing seeds, planting saplings, and watering the plants are a great way of helping them. This keeps them engaged and helps them to see something different everyday. The dynamism of gardening helps them cope wonderfully.
Most of us think, that Alzheimer's patients do not suffer from boredom or never experience excitement. Many of us live with a notion that these patients can go on staring at a wall for hours and hours without a display of a single emotion. However, this isn't true at all.
Such a person, may be suffering from a deep-rooted boredom or extreme low-esteem, or wrecked confidence. Thus, constant encouragement, motivation, support and patience are the key ingredients while dealing with Alzheimer's patients. Hope these activities help you, in helping them.