Keeping dementia patients amused

My friend - who'd been very sniffy about TV all her life - used to sit glued to the screen for hours after she got dementia. Has your mother retained sufficient motor skills to use those crayoning books? Probably the ones for children would be more suitable than the adult ones. Children's jigsaw puzzles? Radio? Talking books? (Though the only time I ever tried that with my mum, she threw the entire set-up across the room saying it was expletive-deleted rubbish!) She also loved TV. Most surprising was that retained the ability to do fairly advanced adult crosswords long after she could no longer find her way around her own house. They often hang on to certain specific skills.

As all dementia sufferers are different, it's mainly a case of trial and error. And playing with hankies and toilet paper is not that unusual. Dementia sufferers often get fixated on quite simple items that they'll play with for hours on end, and seem to derive pleasure from these simple games. In the psychogeriatric unit where my friend ended her days there was an old gentleman who would scribble happily on newspapers for long periods. But it had to be newspapers - he wasn't interested in drawing on plain paper.

Finally, be grateful she's interested in doing anything at all. In the last three months of my poor friend's life, she lost interest in everything, including TV. Although she retained the power of coherent speech right to the end, she would just sit silent and motionless, staring into space with her huge, haunted eyes, only occasionally breaking her silence to say something completely out of the blue. This was even more heartbreaking, as she would often say things like: "I want to go home, but I have no home".

My mother has dementia. I know how u are feeling. She liked to do crossword puzzles but no longer does that. She now lives in a dementia care home. I can't take care of her. She is in another state than me.

It's not easy when you are not near at hand. We stay together in the town, but I do get help to get her up in the morn and evening going to bed. On medication but does not sleep very well.

Many thanks for all your comments.

 

Keeping people active in hobbies and interests can improve quality of life for the person with dementia. It is important to create meaningful activities. Here are some activities.

Do arts and crafts, such as painting or knitting

Work on puzzles.

Watch family videos.

Cook or bake simple recipes together.

Organize household items

Potting and watering plants. 

 

Can she see well? 

Word search books are easier than crosswords or jigsaws, 

my my mum is happiest when she is asked to help to do simple household tasks, like passing things acros the kitchen, tidying a drawer or generally feeling more active and useful. Interacting with others keeps her interested in what is going on.

hope this helps.

You need a expertise for you mom,who gives her best care.