We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Mental

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What are Some Good Activities for Alzheimer's?

By Dulce Corazon
Updated: Mar 03, 2024
Views: 9,288
Share

Good activities for Alzheimer’s disease patients are those that exert therapeutic effects on patients. These activities are often focused on patients' interests and on the remaining activities that they can still perform. Examples of these activities for Alzheimer's include doing jigsaw puzzles, solving math problems, and performing simple tasks like folding clothes, dusting furniture, and arranging flowers. Playing games, coloring in coloring books, watching television, doing exercises, and going on rides are other useful activities that many Alzheimer's patients can still do.

Alzheimer’s disease is a type of neurological disorder with symptoms such as loss of memory, impairment of mental abilities, and changes in personality. As the disease progresses, some patients eventually lose control over certain body functions. Therapeutic activities for Alzheimer’s patients are usually aimed to stimulate their mind as well as promote quality of life. These activities can also minimize Alzheimer’s symptoms and further support Alzheimer’s therapy.

Caregivers of Alzheimer's patients are often encouraged to give them puzzles to work on. Solving puzzles often tops the list of activities for Alzheimer’s as it can make a patient's mind work and help redevelop her cognitive skills. Puzzles with about 100 pieces should pose enough challenge to most Alzheimer’s patients. Patients can also work on simple math problems to work their minds and give them purposeful distractions. Family members or caregivers may print out math problems and ask their patients to answer them.

Playing games such as dice games may also be of interest to most patients. Dice games usually enable them to develop their concentration and improve their mental skills. Watching television, especially game shows, may also be good for these patients, especially if they are encouraged to answer some of the game show questions.

Other good activities for Alzheimer's patients include doing simple tasks like folding clothes, cleaning or dusting furniture, and arranging flowers. Allowing them to perform these simple tasks often help them focus on a specific task at hand. These activities also provide them with a sense of purpose.

Patients with Alzheimer’s disease should also be given coloring books to encourage them to make decisions in choosing colors while helping them become more precise in coloring inside the lines. These coloring activities for Alzheimer's are frequently considered good stress relievers. Simple exercises like arm raising and knee bending are good and healthy activities for Alzheimer's patients as well. They may also be taken for daily afternoon rides to give them a change of scenery and to keep their mind away from the usual distractions.

Share
The Health Board is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
By Sporkasia — On Jan 28, 2014

Drentel - It got to the point where my mother wanted to go for car rides whenever she wasn't sleeping. She and my father would go for a long ride and return home. Fifteen minutes would pass and she was ready to go again, having forgotten she had recently returned from a ride.

However, I have worked with other Alzheimer's patients. Women seem to be more receptive to working with puzzles and other memory games and crafts activities. The men I worked with did not have the patience for these activities. Watching TV was the most popular activity.

There was one patient who loved to go bowling. He had been an avid bowler most of his life and still enjoyed the activity. The director where I worked tried to discourage his family from letting him go out to bowl because she felt he was more aggressive toward the staff when he returned.

This may have been correct, but you could tell he enjoyed the outings, so his family continued to take him out. One of the toughest things about being an advocate for an Alzheimer's patient is weighing what's good for them against what's good for everyone else, including yourself.

By Drentel — On Jan 28, 2014

Animandel - What other activities did your mother enjoy as her disease began to progress. I have been told that adults with Alzheimer's resent being asked to complete kindergarten activities. By that, I mean puzzles and coloring.

By Animandel — On Jan 27, 2014

One of the favorite activities for my parents when my mother developed Alzheimer's disease was taking a car ride. My mother loved to go riding, anywhere. And my father enjoyed doing anything to make her happy.

I have also heard other people say their relatives took a greater interest in car rides once they developed Alzheimer's. The motion seems to calm them.

Share
https://www.thehealthboard.com/what-are-some-good-activities-for-alzheimers.htm
Copy this link
The Health Board, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

The Health Board, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.