25 Holiday Activities for Seniors With Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

The holidays can be a very stressful time for the typical family, but for a family caregiver caring for an elderly loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, the stress can be overwhelming. To help manage the stress of the holidays, it’s important to find Christmas activities that are simple and easy to do. There are literally hundreds of ideas for things caregivers and families can do with an older person with Alzheimer’s disease. However, there are some tips that you should keep in mind:

Interests in specific activities of the elderly: It’s always good to find things that have been interesting to your loved one in the past. Maybe it was music, art, crafts, reading, or puzzles.

Trial for Dementia: While you and I can easily get bored with repetitive activities, someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease may actually find it comforting and calming. So think about things that are repetitive like clipping coupons or stringing beads.

sense of calm: For someone with cognitive impairment, additional stimuli in their environment can be disturbing. Try to avoid chaos and disorganization at home. Try to keep the atmosphere calm and routine.

Significant: Provide your older loved one with choices so they have a sense of value and purpose in their activities.

Holiday activities for seniors with dementia With these key factors in mind, here is a list of some wonderful activities families can do together with an older person who has dementia or Alzheimer’s disease:

1. popcorn thong

2. make a paper chain garland

3. Decorate apples or oranges with cloves and ribbon (pomandra)

4. make christmas cards

5. Affix return stamps and labels to greeting cards

6. Go caroling together

7. Play old party music or try new party music

8. Read Holiday Books Aloud

9. make cookies

10. raking autumn leaves

11. Make paper snowflakes to decorate the house.

12. Take a walk down the main street to see the shop windows.

13. Polish silver for arriving guests

14. Put Christmas candles all over the house

15. Find Holiday Related Crosswords (Children’s Books)

16. Place the Christmas decorations in a decorative container.

17. Make a simple floral arrangement for the holidays

18. Invite some friends over for Christmas tea and cookies

19. gift wrapping

20. Collect pineapples for a decorative basket

21. Rent a favorite Christmas movie for the whole family

22. do a puzzle together

23. Take a nature walk together in the park

24. Hang the arriving Christmas cards on the mantelpiece

25. make a holiday card holder

When caring for an elderly loved one, you may need to make adjustments to your typical family traditions, but this is an opportunity to create new family traditions. You may be surprised how enjoyable the season can be for the whole family when you create an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. For more information on activities for seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, visit Sarahcare Adult Day Care.