How To Adapt Activities For Memory Care

This post may contain affiliate links, and I will be compensated (at no extra cost to you) when you make a purchase by clicking on my links. 

If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you know that I post activity ideas at least a couple of times each month. Recently, I received a question from a nursing home volunteer. He asked if I can provide more information about how to adapt activities for residents living in memory care units.

I believe nearly any activity is adaptable for people living with dementia. How to do this depends upon the interests and abilities of the individual resident. With this in mind, I decided to share a few general principals for creating memory care activities.

Expect short attention spans

Many memory care residents are unable to focus on a specific activity for an extended time. That’s why it’s important to look for activities that don’t take very long to complete or projects that residents can do in segments.

You can help residents maintain focus by eliminating distractions and disruptive noises. A TV blaring in the background, music that’s inappropriate for the activity, or caregivers making a lot of noise will quickly put an end to an enjoyable activity.

Help maintain strengths

Sometimes we tend to step in and take over when a resident is having difficulty with an activity. Worse yet, we give up. But it’s important to support a resident in maintaining their existing abilities for as long as possible.

Observe residents and determine how much help they truly need. Can you simply offer cues, set-up, or a demonstration? Perhaps residents can take turns, or you can pair up residents to work together on a project. The goal is to help residents enjoy the activity and feel successful while preventing frustration.

Be flexible

Memory care is definitely not an area to expect residents to follow a rigid activity calendar. While a consistent daily routine is important, we always need to prepare a variety of activity options to offer.

I remember several times when I did an activity with a small group of residents on a particular day and it was a huge hit.  I tried the same activity again a few days later and it was a total flop. That’s because we need to improvise based on the mood, energy level, and preferences of the residents at that moment in time.

Plan for unplanned activities 

Formal activities are important to support the physical, spiritual, emotional, and cognitive needs of memory care residents. However, spontaneous activities are also enormously important to help provide variety and alleviate boredom.

It’s crucial, too, that all caregivers are taught to consider activities as an important part of their role. Too often we leave this up to the recreational therapy staff.

The better the caregivers know their residents’ histories and interests, the better prepared they are to take the initiative in offering meaningful activities. This makes caregivers’ jobs a lot more enjoyable, too!

Don’t expect perfection

I once worked with a gentleman who loved gardening. Due to a visual problem caused by a stroke, he had difficulty seeing the left half of anything presented to him. So, whether he was planting, weeding, or watering flowers, he only did one half of the area.

Rather than make him feel frustrated or embarrassed by trying to correct him, we simply let him go about his business. Later, we went outside with other residents and finished any incomplete areas. This way, the gentleman continued to find joy in gardening and the courtyard remained beautiful.

Remember that the overall goal is to help residents enjoy their activities and feel successful, even if the result isn’t perfect.

 

Now it’s your turn to share your suggestions. How do you adapt activities for residents living with dementia?