Staying Engaged
In an effort to make your day a little brighter, here are activity ideas to do at home. We hope these activities will stimulate discussion, encourage reminiscing, get you moving, or simply bring joy. From links to concerts, museum tours or live dance classes; to directions for craft projects, or conversation prompts, we hope to add some fun to your day.
Engagement Types:
Click on any of the categories below to explore more!
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Music
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Exercises for the Body and Mind
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Transportation and Travel
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All Things Nature
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Dementia Activities
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Food and Cooking
Music
Radios and Playlists
- Music has proven to be a powerful therapeutic tool in enhancing the well-being of individuals living with dementia. Care Partner Radio is an online station for individuals with dementia.
- BBC Music Memories provides an easy method for creating/saving a music playlist to Spotify.
- Check out the Nostalgia Machine and pick a year from the past to listen to music from your high school days, college parties, or your first love.
Sing Alongs
- Songs & Smiles is a nonprofit offering Fun Songs to Sing for with those living with dementia. The singalong video includes lyrics so the whole family can join in on the fun
- Whether you want to belt it out or listen along, you can add some music to your day with these videos from Sing Along with Susie Q.
Concerts and Performances
- The Choral Society of Durham shared with us their Community Outreach Concert, beautifully presented with the “hope that the music will be one small act of building bridges, linking us together arm in arm as we strive to shape the world into a more just, caring and peaceful place.” Enjoy a variety of songs including the spiritual, “There is a Balm in Gilead,” and “West Side Story’s” favorite love song, “Somewhere.”
- Duke’s Verena Mösenbichler-Bryant leads health care professionals and students—from their homes across Durham County—in a performance of a new piece by Durham composer Steven Bryant.
Exercising Your Body and Mind
Seated Exercises & Stretching
- Seated Line Dancing is a lively and inclusive form of physical activity designed to keep older adults moving and having fun while seated comfortably in a chair. Check out a modified version of traditional line dancing here.
- Check out this YouTube channel for an assortment of fun, upbeat exercise routines.
- Follow along with JJ Gormley, Certified Yoga Instructor with The Center for Volunteer Caregiving as she guides you through gentle seated chair yoga. Choose between various prerecorded videos ranging from 15-30 mins here.
- Stretches help improve balance and coordination which reduce the risk of injury. Help your loved one start their day with some simple stretches before getting out of bed. View the 7-minute video here.
Daily Movement & Simple Exercises
- Verywell Health features this article on the common causes of falling with dementia and Eldercare Gym Senior Fitness provides exercise videos for improved balance on their Youtube page here.
- Gentle walking exercises and good music is an enjoyable activitiy individuals with dementia will love. This 15-minute workout with suggested movements and familiar music is sure to get your loved one moving!
- Check out this 5-minute exercise from Silver Sneakers that is both fun and for good for your brain! Silver Sneakers is a great resource for finding easy exercises you can do at home or at select gyms and senior centers in your community.
- Go4Life from the National Institute on Aging at NIH, offers workout videos to help you fit exercise and physical activity into your daily life. Great options during the pandemic or anytime!
Transportation and Travel
Virtual Destination Tour
- Take a Virtual Vacation to Paris with a meditative audio tour. Guided audio tours can transport listeners to inspiring destinations even when you can’t be there in person. Caregivers can use guided meditations to improve mood and reduce stress for individuals with dementia. Click here to listen to Virtual Vacations via Podcast.
All Aboard!
Experience the mesmerizing appeal of train rides on YouTube. Enjoy the locomotive ‘Drivers Eye View’ of the Brienz Rothorn Bahn railway in Switzerland, with rugged mountainsides and snow-covered peaks.
There is also a live 24/7 train camera gives you the train driver’s view from the comfort of home.
All Things Nature
Fish Tanks and Dementia
Fish tanks engage multiple senses, making them an ideal sensory stimulation tool for individuals with dementia. The vibrant colors of the fish, the play of light on the water, and the gentle swaying of aquatic plants create a visually engaging experience. Watching fish can be enjoyed through a small tank, a virtual tank, or buying an artificial tank for your loved one to enjoy in their space.
Live Animal Feeds
Take time to enjoy a variety of live animal feeds from their natural habitats or local zoos.
- If your loved one adores animals, they will be delighted to view these live panda cams, which show pandas cuddling and playing for hours.
- Take time to enjoy the sounds and wonders of nature through this relaxing video featuring butterflies in a tropical garden here.
- The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources provides over 20 unique bird songs that you can listen to without even opening a window. Many of the birds can even be seen in our North Carolina backyards!
- This West Texas Bird Feeder Cam allow us to watch dozens of birds enjoying some lunch.
- You’re watching the live cam at San Diego Zoo. Scroll below the video to be introduced to the herd.
- It’s sockeye salmon migration time in Alaska! Watch salmon leaping up the falls, while brown bears compete with each other for the best fishing spots with this live cam from Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park, Alaska.
Activities
DIY Activities & Games
- Reminiscing can be a helpful tool to validate a loved one’s experiences and foster connections. Capture meaningful memories through conversation with the help of these questions. You can incorporate sensory prompts too, such as pictures, mementoes, and music.
- Preserve a beautiful, gifted bouquet or homegrown flowers with these dried flower crafts!
- Brush up on your golf game with this fun DIY activity! Click here for examples; this golf game can be played seated or standing, indoors or outdoors!
- The Chapel Hill Public Library introduces a unique collection of sensory kits, specially crafted for neurodiverse individuals, especially those with dementia and their caregivers. Each kit revolves around a nature-inspired theme, featuring items that stimulate the senses. To learn more, view this article.
- Crafts, like painting a suncatcher, are a relaxing activity that anyone, especially kids, can do with seniors who have dementia. Click here for ways to engage with a craft kit.
- Making a Coffee Cup Bird Feeder is a way care partners can engage their loved ones and get closer to nature. In the winter, the bird feeder can attract local birds to your yard and your loved one will enjoy birdwatching from a window.
- Non-slip sock activities offer a wonderful opportunity for both creativity and practicality, especially for individuals with dementia. Rather than purchasing pre-made non-slip socks, consider making them together as a fun and engaging activity. Check out this fun activity here.
- When thinking of activities for persons living with dementia, don’t overlook options that can create a sense of purpose. Focus on activities that they can do, that help them feel productive, that promote independence and that foster social interactions.
- One caregiver has complied a large list of dementia activity ideas. Think about pulling out old Duplos (large Legos), trying the Famous Duo Cards, or singing along with this Karaoke playlist of hymns and patriotic songs.
- Visiting a loved one in a nursing home or assisted living facility can be emotionally challenging, but it’s also an opportunity to create moments of joy and connection. Engaging in activities can improve the quality of your visits. Here is an exhaustive list of 101 Ideas for In-Room & 1-to-1 Activity Programs, from the National Certification Council for Activity Professionals.
- Check out this list of 50 different word puzzles and brain games including tips on how to modify activities for different ability levels.
- If you’re a flower lover but don’t want to get your hands dirty in the soil, check out this fun craft for Flower Pens! They make great presents so your loved ones can share their creations.
Adapting to their Abilities
Helping your loved one with dementia still enjoy old hobbies or routines can be implemented in creative ways. Check out this 2-minute video on Adapting to their Abilities from the blog Being in the Moment.
Nutrition and Dementia
March is National Nutrition Awareness Month, and for individuals with dementia nutrition is important for optimizing cognitive health. View this article from Brain & Life featuring Cooking Tips and Simple Recipes for Alzheimer’s Patients.