Seven Uplifting Activities for People with Alzheimer’s Disease

People living with Alzheimer’s ought not to be isolated. They ought not to be allowed to live or stay alone. Living with Alzheimer’s presents enough challenges.  Neglecting people with this disability or excluding them from some activities should be avoided. 

People living with Alzheimer’s often withdraw from the community.  Sometimes, due to neglect by people or a lack of proper care services. 

No doubt, cognitive changes influence the way an Alzheimer’s patient communicates with people. They still have the capacity to feel joy, and their zeal for comfort remains ever strong.

Embracing someone living with Alzheimer’s is therapy. It helps you as much as it helps the individual. However, the most taxing part is integrating them into interesting and fun activities. 

Helpful for you and your loved one. In this guide, we explore seven different uplifting activities for people with Alzheimer’s. These activities are not just to keep them busy. There are ways of honouring their identities, past experiences, and encouraging them to see the coming days in loving ways.

Support Network understands the challenges that come with caring for someone with Alzheimer's. That is why our Alzheimer's Guide Library is specially curated to offer practical advice.

The activities in this guide are flexible and simple. They are curated to suit a person’s specific needs, while putting their feelings, mood, and stage of their Alzheimer's into consideration.  

This guide explores seven different enjoyable activities for people living with Alzheimer’s. It also helps carers and families identify what suits their loved ones the most.

Support workers, carers, and family members need to study this guide to help them make things easier for people with Alzheimer's and bring out the best in them. The activities listed are not just for fun. There are proven ways to build joyful moments.

Turning these activities into consistent routines can boost their mood and help them to live comfortably.

Why Meaningful Fun Activities Matter

The later the stage of Alzheimer’s, the more the sufferer withdraws into their shell. It becomes a chore to get them to want to do or experience things. This is where depression tends to set in, along with several other negative emotions that can worsen their condition.

Fun activities are ways to prevent this from happening. The interactions from these activities promote physical and emotional well-being. Here are some reasons these activities matter.

1.  Stimulates Cognitive Function

Certain fun activities can help to maintain cognitive function. It aids in slowing down the decline in physical body function by challenging the brain and promoting neural connections. Activities like puzzle games fit this category.

2.  Creates a Safe Space 

People living with Alzheimer’s need a safe haven. Somewhere safe to express themselves. With this in place, their interest in group activities will rise and prevent them from isolation.

Fun activities are one of the best ways to establish this safe space. When you interact with them, they will find it easy to bond with you. They will also be quick to confide in you.

3.  Builds Emotional Connection

The goal of these fun activities is not to help Alzheimer’s patients pass away time. It is to foster bonding. Patients and carers become closer when they do these things together, which makes it easier for the carer to do their job. It also helps the patient because the safety they feel can translate into improvement in their condition.

Emotional connection affirms the fact that while Alzheimer’s disease may rid a person of how to communicate, it does not erase their loving part. It does not erase their capacity to be comfortable, feel love, or delight in human connection.

4.  Supports Physical Well-Being

Beyond strengthening the memory, regular physical activities support physical well-being. It is an easy way to sustain and maintain physical health.

Physical activities improve coordination and balance. It strengthens mobility and helps to maintain mental strength and function. 

5.  Reduces Depression 

One of the reasons these activities are encouraged is to provide companionship. Hence, it will be hard for someone who is regularly involved in fun activities to feel depressed. These fun activities enhance mood and reduce depression.

Some Enjoyable Activities for People Living with Alzheimer's

1.  Reminiscence with Photo Albums

Pictures and images can tap into the visual and emotional memory of an individual. For people with Alzheimer's, it taps in faster and more efficiently. 

Checking through collections of past exciting moments can be enjoyable. It encourages storytelling. Bring sparks of laughter, and support the world recall. Picture stories can also help in later stages of Alzheimer’s. 

Gather family albums. It could be printed photos or digital slideshows on a tablet. Sit together at the fireside, or in a cosy corner, or at a kitchen table. Choose one picture at a time and ask random questions like, “ Who is this?” ”Can you recognise this person?” “Where were you?” and so on. 

Let the conversation flow naturally and sometimes, allow silence. A lingering gaze could pass more messages at times than words.

2.  Engaging in Gentle Motion

Walking, dancing, stretching, and other light body movements can benefit people with Alzheimer’s. These movements lift the mood and help to support balance. They also strengthen the muscles and prevent the stifling of the limbs.

To make it more fun, do slow movements at the same time. It can be enriching and comforting. You can play soft or slow-dance music from an earlier curated playlist. Then lead with easy steps, such as stepping side-to-side. It could also be a single arm movement.

If the patient is unable to stand, try seated exercises by tapping the feet or raising arms to the beat or rhythm. 

Alternating with slow walks indoors, in a hallway, or outdoors, in a garden or park, can work as well. Then combine with stretching, so that you and your loved one don’t get bored with a particular movement. 

If you wish to try an entirely new movement, ensure to discuss with their GP first. 

3.  Soft Cooking or Baking

Cooking and baking require multiple body movements at a time. They are multi-sensory activities since they engage touch, sight, taste, and smell. Familiar smells from the kitchen can revive old pleasant memories and stimulate nice conversations.

You do not have to engage them in many activities. It could just be mixing ingredients or putting toppings on snacks. Being involved helps them feel connected. 

To get the best out of this activity, choose safe, simple, and easy tasks for them, like cutting fruits, stirring butter and flour, or even sprinkling toppings. To awaken a part of their memory, try out old family recipes, as they often hold sentimental value and can trigger happy recollections.

To ensure they are with you, describe the cooking process to them. Speak to them while looking directly into their eyes. “Shall we mix the dough?” “Now, let’s stir the broth.” etc. Let them have a taste and ask them to comment. Flavours and aromas can also serve as strong memory cues.

4.  Engage them in Creative Expression

No doubt, art is therapeutic.  It allows people to express themselves without words. A nice image can say a lot, and emotions can be felt through painting. Besides, painting, drawing, or colouring can be soothing. 

Remember, the goal is not to make them produce a masterpiece. It is the joy that matters. The feeling of doing something special and personal. 

Practical Tips

• Provide paints, watercolours, crayons, etc
• Set them up in a quiet and well-lit space
• Ensure there is minimal disturbance and distraction
• Choose a variety of soothing colours for them 
• Use an apron or old clothing to avoid 
• Do not restrict them. Freedom aids creativity

Making your loved ones partake in these expressive activities is all about them. So make it worthwhile for them. Use materials that are easy to wash and safe.  

5.  Household Tasks

Engaging your loved ones in some household tasks can give them a sense of purpose. When rightly planned, it makes them feel at home.

Regular chores like pairing socks, organising items, sorting clothes, and folding towels can help them maintain their motor skills. It will also help to be able to focus on other aspects of your life. Here are some ways to make fun of household activities.

• Make it a game
• Use visual cues
• Give them positive feedback
• Create a routine around it

How To Do It

• Invite them in a calm and gentle voice
• Give them simple and clear instructions
• Choose familiar and repetitive chores
• Keep shard objects out of their reach

You can even find yourself having fun when you do these activities together with your loved one.

6.  Explore Sensory Play

Scents, spices, perfumes, and soft surfaces can be used to stimulate their brain. They have been known to reduce anxiety and calm the minds of people living with Alzheimer’s. 

By touching different materials dapped in these scents, people with Alzheimer’s can have fun.

Just ensure they are harmful materials, and that the materials cannot trigger a sad memory. Let them express themselves freely, and communicate with them during the process.  

7.  Gardening

Gardening is a low-pressure activity. It can be done repeatedly. Repetitive tasks can boost moods and can be satisfactory.

How To Do It

• Choose safe tools with large handles to use
• Plant medicinal and scent crops
• Cultivate low-risk plants
• Encourage open communication as you work
• Wear protective items for them when they are outdoors
• Always supervise their activities

Gardening does not mean exposing your loved ones to cold or hot temperatures. Watch the temperature. Be mindful of the weather to prevent them from developing another ailment that could cause them to have a setback in their healthcare. 

Some other activities you can engage in with people living with Alzheimer's are;

• Watching the birds
• Scavenger hunts
• Knitting
• Solving simple puzzles and games
• Pet therapy or Animal companionship
• Seeing a movie
• Book reading and storytelling

Choosing Suitable Activities By Stage

One of the things Support Network helps support workers, carers, and families consider is the right type of activity for their loved one with Alzheimer’s. To ensure the effectiveness of these activities, choose one that resonates with their Alzheimer’s stage.

Early Stage Alzheimer’s 

At the early stage of Alzheimer’s, the individuals are still independent. They have a grasp of their immediate environment and are still mentally active. The idea here is just to boost their self-esteem and make them re-identify themselves.

Some of these activities are;

• Cooking or Baking
• Active participation in social activities and community events
• Solving puzzles
• Taking light walks

Middle Stage Alzheimer’s

Memory loss becomes more pronounced in the middle stage. That is when daily tasks require assistance. Communication might also become challenging, and you want to ensure they are not engaged in anything that can cause further confusion.

Activities in this stage should provide some sort of emotional reassurance. Choose calm and repetitive tasks that prompt encouraging words upon completion. 

Some of the activities in the middle stage of Alzheimer’s include;

• Colouring and Painting
• Viewing photo albums
• Activities that involve sensory stimulation
• Folding stimulation

Late Stage Alzheimer’s

This is the final stage of Alzheimer’s disease. In this stage, verbal communication becomes obsolete, and mobility is restricted. However, this does not mean the person cannot still have fun and partake in interesting activities.

Some of the activities at the later stages of Alzheimer’s disease include;

• Using calming scents
• Reading them short, rhythmic stories or poems
• Bird watching

Regardless of the stage of your loved one’s Alzheimer’s, it is important to ensure versatility. It is very important. You need to understand their needs before engaging them in certain activities.

Scheduling the Best Time for These Fun Activities

Engaging people living with Alzheimer’s in meaningful fun activities isn’t about what is done. How often and when it happens are also important. They are factors that can influence their willingness to participate. 

• When it Happens - Timing

People with Alzheimer’s do not usually have a stable mood, but they are mostly focused and energised early on in the day. Say in the morning. That is why it is recommended to schedule stimulating activities like light exercises, reminiscence therapy, and other creative tasks for this time. 

By afternoon, they may begin to feel tired. That period is best for calming and familiar activities like folding laundry and storytelling. Evening activities should be gentle tasks. Activities that help them prepare for a peaceful night’s rest. 

• Frequency of Occurrence

There is no ‘right number of times’ for these activities daily. You just have to rely on their responsiveness and how willing they are to participate. But generally, one or two activities daily are recommended for people in the middle stages of Alzheimer’s.

For people in the later stages of Alzheimer’s, their sessions should be shorter but frequent. Engage them in sensory interactions.

For them, consistency is the keyword. Theirs has to be a continuous process. However, if at any time you notice they seem tired or uninterested, let them rest. Or you switch to another activity for them.

Conclusion

Alzheimer’s disease comes with many changes that can make people with Alzheimer’s vulnerable. However, that ought not to mark an end to an interesting lifestyle. People living with Alzheimer’s need to be engaged in fun activities. They need to be constantly involved in something fun.

Beyond healing, fun activities can become moments of warmth and connection. The activity ideas listed in this guide are not just “things to do”; they are a step towards physical and emotional bonding.

They are invitations to share smiles and cherish each other’s company. If you are not sure how to get started, SupportNetwork is here for you. We offer trusted guidance and professional care services. You are not alone. It is advisable to get extra help. 

Let Support Network use its expertise and professional resources to engage your loved ones living with Alzheimer’s in interesting, fun activities.