Activities for Alzheimer's Disease Patients

It can be a challenge to come up with ideas for activities for Alzheimer's disease patients. With moderate and advanced Alzheimer's, the patient may have an extremely short attention span and poor control over her physical movements. Patients with early Alzheimer's can become depressed or frustrated over their inability to perform tasks they once found easy.

Enjoyable Activities

• Engage your patient in an activity that was once enjoyable to him to see if it stimulates interest. Any activity that he enjoys doing that engages his mind and lets him perform physical movement will benefit his body, mind and spirit. The goal of the activities should be to provide pleasure and not to try to get your patient to perform at a certain skill level. For example, if your patient was once an avid gardener, let him get his hands in the dirt and pull weeds or plant seeds.

Group Activities

• Play games that appeal to all skill levels, like batting a balloon hanging from a string suspended above a round table at which the patients are seated. If possible, separate your patients according to the severity of their disease so the less impaired can work on puzzles and read books, while those in later stages of the disease are kept occupied with simpler activities like squeezing stress relief balls and playing balloon tether ball.

Dignity

• Treat your patients with dignity and as the adults that they are, even though they may act childlike. Avoid games and puzzles that are obviously for children and are branded with cartoon characters. Puzzles are good for exercising the mind, but it is better to choose puzzles with nature themes or animals instead of cartoons.

Passive Activities

• Tune the radio to an oldies station or play classical music. Most everyone loves music and Alzheimer's patients can remember old songs long after they have forgotten many other things. Other passive activities include watching movies and old TV shows. Be cautious with violent or scary movies, since many Alzheimer's patients have anxiety issues and may become agitated by such shows. Some patients may not be able to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Choose shows that are funny and upbeat.

Functional Activities

• Assess your patient's abilities, then select activities that will be safe for him, keeping in mind Alzheimer's patients have problems with physical coordination, as well as poor judgment. Activities Alzheimer's patients might enjoy are sweeping, washing dishes, washing tables, raking leaves, gardening, vacuuming and folding towels. As their disease progresses, Alzheimer's patients tend to perform repetitive behaviors and may thoroughly enjoy wiping a tabletop for an extended period of time. For patients in the beginning stages of Alzheimer's, also include plenty of mental activities like doing crossword or jigsaw puzzles to keep their minds active in hope of slowing the progression of their disease.