Time Well Spent: How to Help Someone with Dementia
The holidays are a time for family. For aging parents, grandparents, and older family members, the sweetest gift you can give is unhurried and meaningful time together. Holiday visits are the perfect opportunity to connect and engage older adults. If your loved one is dealing with memory loss or cognitive decline, simple activities designed to promote a holistic quality of life across the seven domains of wellness can help.
Using the Seven Domains of Wellness in Dementia Care
Too often as we age our world seems to shrink. Mobility challenges, health issues, or cognitive decline can limit our possibilities. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Older adults, including people with dementia, can benefit from activities that stimulate one or more of the seven domains of wellness: physical, spiritual, creative, vocational, emotional, environmental, and intellectual.
At Sage Eldercare Solutions and The Hummingbird Project, the seven domains of wellness guide our practice. We create and deliver products and services specifically designed to nourish these domains. Our attention to clients’ total wellness engages curiosity, fosters personal expression, and creates joyful moments to promote a holistic quality of life.
Two Fun and Simple Activities Created by Our Experts
This holiday season, try these engaging activities from our dementia care experts that can be done with loved ones at home or in their care community. The activities can be adapted for any cognitive limitations and should be personalized to your loved one’s interests and life story. As you get started, be sure to focus on the positive—what your loved one can do.
Activity One: Sing and Dance
Physical and Creative Wellness Domains
Music is a powerful tool to connect with people living with dementia. Concerts, community music events, or even private dance sessions in your family member’s living room or backyard can bring joy and engagement.
- Choose music your loved one enjoys or has a personal connection to.
- Encourage movement, whether dancing or simply clapping along to the rhythm.
- Be mindful of the volume and type of music, ensuring it is soothing and not overwhelming.
- Weather permitting, look for concerts in local parks that provide a fun outing and an opportunity to listen to music.
Activity Two: Share a Bag of Surprises
Emotional Wellness Domain
Activities that support emotional wellness help older adults cope with stressful events and life changes. This activity indulges the delight of little surprises, and it can be done repeatedly.
- Bring a bag of surprises when you visit your loved one. If you’re able to visit regularly, make a habit of bringing a little bag of surprises every time.
- Anything that fits in the bag is fair game: a treat to eat, a family photo, a drawing by a grandchild, a favorite magazine, or a book of poems.
- The items can give your visit a purpose or theme, so you have something specific to share or talk about that day.
- The mystery and anticipation surrounding the bag’s contents will inspire curiosity, connection, and excitement.
More Ways to Engage Family Members Living with Dementia
Many professional and family caregivers and the older adults we work with have found inspiration in our Joyful Moments Activity Cards, which beautifully depict activities covering all seven wellness domains. These activities will help you continue to engage your loved one all year, bring a special purpose to visits, and spark moments of joy.
If you’re interested in professional services, The Hummingbird Project helps older adults, including those living with dementia, experience joy and purpose using personalized, one-on-one therapeutic activities delivered in person or virtually by therapeutic activity specialists. For older adults needing more care, Sage Eldercare offers truly exceptional Home Care with uncommon attention to detail and individualized, concierge services focused on everyday quality of life.
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