It’s not too late to help your loved one have an exciting and rewarding summer! Providing them with great quality of life and keeping them as engaged as possible as they age is vital to their health. However, it’s also important to understand and recognize what activities they are comfortable with, as you don’t want to make them feel frustrated or overwhelmed. Consider if they enjoy passive or active activities, individual or group settings when planning activities. Luckily, there are endless options, so you can find fun activities that meet your loved one’s needs and preferences. Here are some summer activity ideas from Belleview Heights, one of the top nursing homes in Aurora, CO:
Listening to music is one of the best activities for people experiencing memory challenges. It can be calming, spark old memories, and overall add to happiness and quality of life. Consider using CDs, tapes, the radio, or a playlist of songs that have music from your loved one’s childhood or earlier adulthood to try to bring back emotions and memories. You could also add to the fun by:
Activities that spark memory and conversation are great for seniors with dementia, as they allow for them to feel a sense of purpose. Simple life skills that they may have used in their past or never had the chance to do are a great activity to keep them engaged and stimulate their mind and body. Here are a few life skill activities that you can do with your loved one:
Seniors with dementia often aren’t able to fully express themselves at times, which is what makes arts and crafts such a great activity for them. It stimulates their brains and allows them to use their creativity. The best part–they can make something to give to their friends and family or display in their room, creating a sense of accomplishment and purpose! Here are a few arts and crafts ideas:
If your loved one is mostly dependent or in the later stages of dementia and has difficulty communicating, walking, or feeding themselves, activities that utilize their senses are a great option. Here are some ways you can help them stimulate their senses:
The opportunities are endless to help your loved one with dementia make the most of their summer! Here at Belleview Heights, one of the top Denver retirement communities, we offer activities to meet the varying needs and preferences of our residents so every day is great!
To learn more about residency or to schedule a tour of Belleview Heights, contact our friendly team today.
