Maintaining good health is essential to combat age-related cognitive decline as we get older. For seniors, the brain’s well-being influences memory, communication, motor skills and other processes that support their ongoing independence. Degenerative dementias, such as Alzheimer’s disease, are the most common cause of significant cognitive decline late in life. Engaging in stimulating activities that provide a sense of accomplishment can help aging adults maintain cognitive function. Here are five activities seniors with dementia might enjoy during the summer.
While summers in Potomac Falls, Virginia, can be hot and humid, the average temperature is generally around 86 degrees during the hottest month. The area’s relatively low summer temps make being outside more comfortable and provide an excellent environment for outdoor brain games.
Consider a game of garden chess that utilizes oversized pieces or even a regular game of chess. Playing chess actively engages the brain to help strengthen reasoning and retention, making it an ideal brain game for seniors with dementia. Because you play against an opponent, chess also encourages social interaction.
While not exactly considered brain games, playing games that involve tossing bean bags, such as cornhole, is an alternative some older adults enjoy. These types of games encourage movement and improve hand-eye coordination to help with motor skills.
Playing games outdoors offers the additional benefit of soaking up some natural vitamin D from the sun and enjoying the fresh air. However, set up games in a shaded area to ensure players don’t get too warm. Also, utilize areas that are enclosed to prevent wandering.
Setting up a regular schedule for outdoor games during the summer helps create a routine that seniors can look forward to. Adapt your games to match the participants’ cognitive levels and physical abilities so everyone can participate safely.
Dancing is a fun way to help seniors stay physically active and promote positive feelings. Whether they enjoy gently swaying to slow melodies or engaging in more lively steps to accompany upbeat tunes, dancing can help improve physical coordination and balance.
While you can organize dance activities indoors, taking the fun outdoors in the summer allows seniors to dance surrounded by nature in the fresh air. When dancing outside, choose a familiar, safe setting to reduce anxiety, which can be common with dementia.
Choose music from the past that creates a sense of nostalgia and stimulates happy memories. Older adults often find familiar songs comforting, but they can also help maintain cognitive function in seniors with dementia.
For seniors who prefer engaging with music minus the dancing, musical activities such as outdoor concerts provide many of the same benefits. Many communities host various summer concerts featuring a wide array of music. For example, seniors and their families can enjoy free concerts every Sunday evening from May through October at the Village Centre Green in Great Falls.
Alternatively, seniors with dementia can sit outdoors in their Memory Care community and enjoy their favorite melodies. Whether they listen to music live or recorded, the benefits of music therapy for dementia are well-documented. Some of these benefits include improved memory recall and mood and helping reduce anxiety and depression.
While seniors with dementia can do crafts year-round, the warmer months allow you to take these activities outdoors, where the natural light and surroundings help spark those creative juices. Many crafts help improve hand-eye coordination, and the finished products can provide a sense of accomplishment while allowing participants to express themselves.
Craft projects can be tailored to seniors' cognitive abilities and motor skills. Choose simple crafts like rock painting, creating greeting cards or stringing beads for jewelry for those with limited abilities. More complicated crafts like knitting, painting pictures with watercolors or oils or building a birdhouse might be enjoyable for other seniors.
Scrapbooking or creating photo collages or memory boxes are other crafts to consider. These types of projects help jog memories to provide cognitive stimulation. They also provide tangible items they can look through when they need help remembering past events.
Outdoor crafting sessions encourage social interaction, allowing seniors to communicate and work together. This collaboration promotes a sense of community and belonging. Furthermore, being outdoors while engaging in creative projects can help enhance mood and overall well-being.
Gardening is one of the most popular outdoor activities for seniors in the summer. It’s often considered therapeutic, offering a blend of physical activity and cognitive stimulation. Activities with a sensory element are essential for dementia care, and gardening provides a feast for the senses. Seeing the colorful blooms, smelling the fresh soil and feeling the textures of the leaves while tending a garden can all help reduce stress.
You can adapt gardening to suit various physical abilities. For example, container gardens or raised planters allow those who find it uncomfortable to bend or kneel to enjoy the activity.
Watching their plants grow can give seniors with dementia a sense of accomplishment. Gardening with others also provides opportunities for social interaction. Plus, it can be easily incorporated into a daily routine, providing a structured activity that helps seniors with dementia feel in control and less agitated.
At Falcons Landing, we’re honored to be able to provide support to seniors who need it most. Through our community activities, local events in the area and other fun summer-related activities, we’re consistently able to offer enjoyable summer experiences for our Memory Care residents. Find out more about our planned activities by contacting us today at 703-404-5100.
-min.png)
-min.png)
-min.png)
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
