20 Creative activities for dementia patients

Image by Marjon Besteman-Horn from Pixabay

Creative activities stimulate the brain, and are known to create significance even in a non verbal manner through the power of imagination. 

Dementia patients often observe a steady decline in cognitive ability; short term memory, speech and thinking are affected in some patients. 

According to a study by Australian scientist from Neuroscience Research Australia, published on the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease under the title “Not everything is lost”, Alzheimer’s disease destroys memory but develops creativity in some patients. 

The part of the brain responsible for inspiration and sensory abilities seems to wake up thus offsetting the devastating effect of the disease on other parts of the brain.  

“Creative abilities such as painting or singing that have not yet manifested themselves in humans can occur or improve in patients with Alzheimer's disease or frontotemporal dementia.”

This study shows that the region of the brain associated with artistic creativity is save from the disease and that area even works far better like to try and compensate the loss in the ability to remember. 

Creative activities are known to reactivate inactive skills in patients but in most case it depends on the patient’s needs, form, stage and evolution of dementia. 

Organisations like Active Minds specialize in creating activities for dementia patients with a range of abilities to improve their quality of life. 

Benefits of creative activities to dementia patients

Creative activities are enjoyable, entertaining, meaningful and are rewarding especially when something is being achieved.  Here are some benefits: 

• Helps to maintain self esteem. 
• It is a good way to have some family time together and maintain a social bond. 
• Helps in exercising the memory. 
• Works on your concentration and performance.  
• Slows down the progression of dementia.
• Helps curb the tendency of self withdrawal. 
• Helps maintain old skills. 

Creative activities are often link to the person’s hobby and interest event before dementia symptoms showed up.

The priority of every activity is for the senior to feel good during their development. 

When choosing a creative activity, the ability or capacity of the concern person should be considered in order not to lead to frustration. 

Here are some activities dementia patients enjoy indoor and outdoor.

20 Creative activities for dementia patients 

1. Music and dance can be a standalone or group activity. Such activities are known to stimulate motor skills and mobility, helps patients to express their emotion and confidence. Choirs are great place to start.  The priority of such activities is to help the patient enjoy the art other than treating the disease. 
2. Reading poems and stories awaken stories heard in childhood.  
3. Painting, drawing and collage can be done with little material. 
4. Visiting a museum can be an exciting sightseeing opportunity. 
5. Gardening is a pleasant outdoor activity that’s always recommended for dementia patients. Create a place where a patient can plant seeds and watch them grow. It maintains motor skill and memory.  
6. Pottery, sewing and writing workshops if possible should be done with a group, as group activities help to diversify daily routine and also establishes a structure of development. A repetitive structure often helps patients who often cannot remember what the current month and time is. For example, activities that are done with respect to a season (spring, Christmas etc.) will help the patients to better orientate their time. 
7. DIY craft for skillful seniors promotes dexterity, builds positive attitude and makes the senior feel useful. 
8. Calendar shoots would be loved by the senior. 
9. Bell ringers for Christmas, a create way for better orientation of time. 
10. Bridge group
11. Puzzles, people with dementia often have a memory decline, but puzzles help you think.  
12. Distant ousting, fun activities but often hard to organize.  
13. Animal visit, most seniors find companionship in pets, dog walking brushing is very therapeutic. 
14. Folding towels, If the senior is able and lives with you, bring towels from the laundry dryer for the senior to folds them, a load of towels can take the senior up to an hour some days, the senior may not always fold them correctly, but you shouldn’t care much as it keeps the senior occupied and he/she feels they are helping you. You can do this for any laundry, even if you ask the senior just to sort it, keeps them busy, anything that matters, i.e. shirts, pants that wrinkle and socks are a great distraction. Once the senior is done, thank him/her, take them away out of their sight and fix what needs to be fixed and you are both happy. On a day where the senior is agitated and you have no real laundry, you can grab the face cloths/ tea towels out of the cupboard, put them into the dryer for a few minute to warm them and bring them for the to fold.
15. Become a handyman, visit a hardware store and get some tool, tighten screws into wood, connect PVC and see how the fit. Such activities can stimulate the inner imagination.
16. Mechanic, if you have passion in restoring old cars, then playing with cars parts can be fun. Visit car events and watch online videos on how to fix or restore cars.    
17. Create a playlist of your favorite songs and listen whenever you are in the mood. 
18. Caregiver, babies seem to generate a positive response in people with dementia. Interaction between the elderly and children is known to be therapeutic. Arrange for a meet up with children. There are many caregivers support group out there. 
19. Nintendo Wii when played with the old console is great for seniors. 
20. Cooking and pastry, realizing a complete recipe elicits pleasurable memories. Cooking shouldn’t be complex for doing basic things like setting up the table or finding kitchen utensils is very suitable.

Creative activities can prevent Mild cognitive impairment

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a state between the serious cognitive decline and the normal decline of dementia in normal aging but the person will still have symptoms such as memory loss and can evolve to dementia. 

Mayo Clinic Rosebud Roberts and other researchers carried out a study to see if creative activities reduce Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).  

The team surveyed 256 men and women age 85 – 89 who all had normal cognitive function.

All participants were evaluated using the clinical Dementia Scale (CDR) and had a neurological examination including evaluation of memory ability.
   

All participants were monitored for 4 years and at the end of that period 121 of the participants developed MCI. 

It was observed that participants, who engaged in creative activities such as drawing and sculpture, had 73% lower risk of developing MCI than those who didn’t engage in such activities.
  

45% of those who engage in craft like ceramics and handicraft saw a 55% decrease in MCI risk than does who did not. 

Basic Computer usage like shopping and internet search saw a 53% decrease in developing MCI risk.

To conclude, it was seen that, control of the blood pressure level to normal can prevent Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and creative activities such as painting, DIY craft and arts are hobbies that play a protective role.     

How to engage a dementia patient in a creative activity 

Care should be taken when engaging a patient into an activity for it is imperative to find appropriate activities to the changing mood and skills of the patient.  Here is how to engage a dementia patient in an activity. 

Be calm: Lay down simple and easy to do task and carefully guide the patient on how to do the task. Remember your primary goal is to engage the patient in action and not to help you. 

Be patient and don't be discouraged: In the early stages of dementia, patients respond easily to recommendations but during the later stages, they may need more encouragement so it is of great importance to be calm and try to encourage them.

Adapt the activities to the current situation: As the disease turn to worsen, the patient may lose their skills, so adapt activities according to the progression of the disease. Replace difficult activities with simple and easy to do task. If your love one refuses an activity, it may be that they are not in the mood at that time, so try a little persuasion but do not use force. 

Time: Make sure your love one takes regular breaks like say 20 minutes when engaging in an activity to avoid fatigue. 

Security: Chose an activity that won’t injure the patient during or after completion of the task. 

Help with preparations: people with dementia often go through tough time trying to plan an activity, just help them in planning one and you will be surprise in what the person will come up with. 

Choose simple activities and give clear instructions: Activities should be broken down in to step-by-step instructions so that the patient understand and feels happy. 

Divide and do the activities together: Join activities are great; each person has a role to play. Plan the activity in such a way that you can finish what the patient cannot do.    

Expression, artistic, creation: The activity should be plan in such a way that the patient can express his/her self.