Aspen Creek of Troy Underlines a Few Types of Meaningful Activities that can Help People with Dementia
Dementia impacts the memory, thinking, and behavior of a person, along with their ability to perform everyday activities. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. Senior citizens with Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia can significantly benefit from the care programs and facilities offered by memory care homes like Aspen Creek of Troy. Memory care homes also allow each resident to take part in discerning activities that are tailored to their cognitive and functional abilities.
Aspen Creek of Troy marks certain meaningful activities well suited for people with dementia
Dementia is a complex disease with various types and different stages. It is characterized by a decline of cognitive and social function. Engaging in meaningful activities can provide a sense of connectedness to self, others, and the environment to people with dementia, and help them to maintain their autonomy and identity. It is not uncommon for senior citizens with dementia to struggle with loneliness, lethargy, isolation and depression, which often leads to behaviors like wandering, withdrawal, and agitation. To keep people with dementia orderly engaged and help them feel productive, memory care homes usually provide options for many meaningful activities like:
- Art: For years, diverse types of art, like painting, drawing, and crafting, have been considered to be a popular and effective activity for individuals with dementia. Creating art provides residents of memory care homes with a means of self-expression, even for the ones who may have difficulty communicating verbally. It helps the residents to tap into their creativity and engage in an activity that can be both relaxing and stimulating.
- Music: Music often has a powerful impact on people with dementia. Playing a musical instrument, singing a song or simply listening to music may evoke emotions and memories. Music may help a person with dementia reconnect with their past, along with improving their mood, lowering anxiety levels and fostering social connections.
- Gardening: Gardening is a simple yet sensory rich activity that many people with dementia find calming and enjoyable. Memory care homes may have raised flower beds or accessible gardens where the residents may care for plants. Gardening is a hands-on activity that provides a sense of accomplishment and connection with the environment.
- Physical exercise: Engaging in physical activities and exercise is important for maintaining physical health and mobility. Gentle stretching, chair yoga and other similar activities can be adapted to accommodate varying levels of mobility and cognitive function of a resident. Exercise programs provided at memory care homes are generally meant to improve balance, strength, and flexibility of people with dementia.
- Storytelling and poetry: Storytelling and poetry activities are helpful in encouraging people with dementia to share their stories, thoughts, and feelings in an engaging and creative manner. Such activities may stimulate cognitive function and provide a good outlet for self-expression.
Memory impairment along with the inability to remember faces or recognize familiar places can lead to confusion, agitation, anxiety and frustration. The staff members of memory care homes are better equipped to address these challenges than any layman. These professionals are trained to respond to the behavioral changes of dementia patients and try to create individualized care plans for each and every resident. The staff members of memory care homes also cater to particular patterns and needs of senior citizens, based on the stage of dementia and the manner in which this condition impacts their behavior.
The staff members of memory care homes like Aspen Creek of Troy understand that each of their residents enjoys varying activities. Hence, they try their best to identify activities ideal for the personality, lifestyle and cognitive abilities of each resident.
