Self Motivated Activities

BillyB1979

My mother has dementia. She’s progressed quickly the past few months but is still aware (mostly) of her decline. She seems to get “bored” and restless when not fully engaged. My family and I do our best to keep her active and engaged but the reality is we need to rest and reset regularly to be our best for her. She used to work word searches and play games on her phone but those activities have become challenging and stressful for her.

What are some activities she could do on her own or with minimal guidance that worked for you?

SusanB-dil

Hi BillyB - sometimes our LO's enjoy folding and sorting the laundry, even if it is over and over. There are also some items available on Amazon.

Could you look into adult daycare for maybe a couple days a week? That would also give you and your family some needed respite, and would give mom some activities.

harshedbuzz

@BillyB1979

Alas the ability to entertain oneself is one of the core losses of dementia.

If your mom can no longer enjoy her games, she'll likely need someone to initiate and engage for any activity. She might enjoy putting easier puzzles together or adult coloring books. Along with folding, some chores might still be doable and give a sense of accomplishment. Helping with meals— laying a table or dumping ingredients is good for some. Simple chores like dusting or using a Swiffer can work for some. Sorting objects can kill time— buttons, mating socks, etc. She might enjoy a robotic pet.

A day program for PWD might be a great option as the programming will be dementia-informed and failure free.

HB

psg712

Very simple puzzles and coloring books were helpful for my mom for a while. She needed help to get started on them. She lost interest fairly quickly though.

sunnydove

My mom really enjoyed sorting and folding socks and laundry, sorting buttons into colors and spot-the-difference picture books (I got them at Dollar Tree.)

lizzyt

My mom loves puzzles. Which is odd because she never was into them before. Large pieces and I find 36 pieces a good size. She will sit for a long time and work on it. Something I can do with her too.

BillyB1979

Thanks so much to each of you for the ideas. I’ll try them all!

Anonymousjpl123

my mom is very very happy sorting laundry and the very limited items in her room. That’s about it. She also enjoys being with people. Mostly she doesn’t hold lucid conversations but she likes the connection. I’ve heard great things about memory cafes and adult day care. This way she can relax while at home without you feeling like she has no stimulation. The reality is that this disease does seem to take away any pleasure in activities, though some people at my mom’s place seem to enjoy puzzles and coloring. It usually needs to be prompted, though. Good luck. Keep us posted on what works.

kblau

fidget spinners and poppers…

wrapping presents

(My mom loves watching cartoons like Bluey with my 4 year old)

I actually leave a lot of my 4 year olds toys at her MC for her to play with and I know it’s helpful. Look on Amazon for sorting games for toddlers or really anything for 3/4 age group

Daisie

sounds very similar to my current situation! My mom has late onset severe Alzheimer’s at 90 and her CG and I figured out she loves folding laundry and playing matching games you can buy on Amazon! You can do a simple search for games for dementia patients and it will give you several options! You can also buy laundry folders that can help with engagement …I even bought one for me!

nobaddays

Hi BillyB1979,

My mother also used to play word games on her phone with family in other states, unfortunately, with this progressive disease, that was three years ago and now she no longer knows how to operate the phone.

However, now she enjoys both independent activities, as well playing games with family such as Yahtzee, skippo, or bingo, things she enjoys doing on her own are books with word searches, easy activities like spot the difference in the picture,, coloring books, and painting/marker pen/colored pencil artwork from Creatology (found at Michaels). These keep her busy for hours.

Good luck with your moms journey and keep loving her. I am making the best of each day with my mom and I am honored to be able to care for her, as I know this is called the Long Goodbye :(