1. Music
  • Play their favorite songs or albums, especially music from their youth.
  • Tune the radio to a station that plays the type of music they like.
  • Encourage them to sing along to songs they know
  • Use their favorite songs as a fun way to help them reminisce over fond memories
  • Play or experiment with a simple musical instrument like a harmonica or musical shaker
  1. Reading aloud, audiobooks, and radio shows
  • Hearing the newspaper, books, magazines, or even old letters read aloud is an enjoyable pastime for many older adults. Find things that capture their interest but aren’t too complex to follow.
  • Reading aloud is a great way for visitors to interact with someone with dementia, especially children.
  • Audiobooks allow your older adult to listen to almost any book they like. Borrow them from the local library, buy them from a retailer, use the free National Library Service home delivery, or find them online for free.
  • Sports fans may enjoy listening to sports games on the radio.
  • Some older adults may enjoy listening to radio talk shows, spiritual broadcasts, science talks, and other such programs – many radio stations even make these programs available online for free.
  1. Movement and Exercise
  • Play their favorite music and encourage them to dance with you, sway in their seat, or tap hand and feet along with the beat.
  • To boost mood, circulation, and overall health, guide them through chair yoga exercises or chair based exercises designed for people with dementia.
  1. Nature
  • Use a wheelchair for a walk outside to feel the sun and fresh air.
  • Take them for a ride in the car and describe the passing scenery.
  • Involve them in an indoor windowsill garden to the best of their ability – pressing dirt in a pot, measuring plant growth by feel, smelling herbs, or tasting the harvest.
  1. Videos and TV Programs
  • Listen to musicals, operas, concerts, or other types of performances with music from TV, DVD, YouTube, or on demand streaming services.
  • Listen to nature videos or shows – they usually describe the animals and narrate the action so it can still be an enjoyable experience even without visuals.
  • Animal therapy

 

  • Holding or petting a well-behaved pet is a wonderful and calming activity.

 

  • Adaptive Games
  • For seniors with some vision, large print playing cards area great way to enjoy simple games.
  • Matching shapes game with larger template for low vision
  • Fun matching game with oversized cards showing various occupations
  • Giant-size dominoes can be used to play a variety of games, regular dominoes or matching type games your adult invents
  • Special dominoes with raised dots could be used by people with little to no vision