Go Back

Lorena Smalley

Exquisicare Senior Living is a member of the Westend Seniors Activity Centre’s, Friends of WSAC business program. Their mission is to:

  • To provide real loving homes for our elders so they can live with safety, security and love, through all the remaining phases of their life.
  • To provide comfort and assurance to the families of our residents that their loved ones are treated with the highest level of care, compassion and respect.

Wendy Hoover has been a guest speaker here at our centre, providing educational Toonie Talks  and tomorrow, September 20th, she will be hosting a Toonie Talk on “Living At Risk”.

 

Guest Blog Post – “Games for Seniors Living with Alzheimer’s or Dementia”
By Exquisicare Senior Living

Research shows that brain games can be effective in delaying the onset of dementia in older adults. However, there are plenty of fun, stimulating games for those already suffering.

Seek out games that offer social interaction and include an appropriate amount of mental stimulation –that may slow cognitive decline.
Stimulating activities can help people with Alzheimer’s by encouraging self-expression, fostering emotional connections, reducing anxiety, and stirring up positive memories.

Exquisicare believes in the importance of finding meaningful activities, not just ones that fill time. Consider what your loved one enjoyed in the past and make adjustments to ensure that these activities are safe and free of frustration for them now. Some activities to consider include:
• Prepare simple recipes
• Household organization and cleaning
• Look at books or create a photo box
• Read the newspaper
• Tend a garden or visit a botanical garden
• Play music and sing songs
• Watch family videos or create a memory box

Crafting can also be a great way for seniors with Alzheimer’s or dementia to keep their hands busy and produce familiar motions that reduce anxiety and calm nerves. These may include things like knitting with large gauge needles or painting.

If your loved one resists an activity or becomes agitated, take a break and modify the activity in a way that will make it more enjoyable for them. Focus on making sure the process is fun without worrying about results. The good news is that with a little imagination, the possibilities are endless and most of them are free or very low cost.

Video games are also becoming increasingly popular for seniors who suffer from dementia. More complicated games will be too difficult to master and will lead to frustration, but a simple puzzle game like Tetris is appropriately stimulating and easy to play.

Conduct an online search to find other video games geared towards older adults and swap out some TV time for a more engaging alternative.

Spread the love