Question: As my father’s memory loss continues to decline, what should I do to keep him active and stimulated?
Answer: While caring for a loved one with memory loss, whether it is Alzheimer’s or dementia, it can be rather difficult to find ways to keep them busy. Here are the top five ways to aid your loved one in maintaining their memory and skills:
- Past Patterns – Though each case is different, you first want to look at the tasks and daily routines your loved one performed during their career and in the past few years. Try to maintain some of these skills even if they need to be broken down into more simple steps. For example, if your loved one was a florist or loved to garden, provide them with a plastic vase and artificial flowers to sort and make arrangements with.
- Music – Music has been found to be one of the most influential stimulants in reminding someone of their past. The latest findings were documented in the movie “Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory,” which showed just how much music can adjust moods and recall memories. Providing your loved one with an MP3 player with personalized music that they enjoyed earlier in their life can alter their whole demeanor in just minutes.
- Snoezelen – For many individuals with dementia, it is common for their confusion to increase in the later hours of the day. There is a special sensory program called Snoezelen which is a multi-sensory environment that can help to decrease confusion and increase stimulation for those in late stages of dementia. Snoezelen rooms are darkened rooms that usually contain a blend of various special lights, sounds or music, textures, and aromas to provide stimulation to all the senses. Snoezelen equipment is expensive but a multi-sensory experience is easy to provide with various items around your home. Examples: soft music, nature sounds, lava lamps, black lights, candles, and lotions
- Daily Tasks – Having your loved one assist you with daily tasks can help them to maintain skills and feel involved. For example, they could help fold laundry, do dishes, dust, sweep, cut coupons, stuff envelopes, and organize household items.
- Photo Albums – Small flip photo albums of family and friends that are labeled with who is in the photos and where and when they were taken can be helpful to someone with memory loss. This allows for less frustration or feelings of failure when they cannot remember faces or names, especially in the earlier stages of dementia.
