The Best Activities for Seniors With Memory Loss

America’s population is aging, and as people get older, they’re more likely to develop health issues. This includes Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, which affect 1 in 10 Americans, according to a study published in 2022. If you or a loved one has dementia, you probably know it presents significant challenges. But there are ways to combat the condition’s advance and continue to live a happy and fruitful life.

While everyone waits for a cure for Alzheimer’s, there are lifestyle habits people can adopt that make a difference. They can aid those with dementia and reduce the risk of developing the condition for adults with mild cognitive impairment. These activities give seniors a sense of purpose and also contribute to a nurturing environment that promotes mental stimulation and emotional well-being. 

This guide offers important information, whether you’re a caregiver looking after someone in the community or your loved one resides in a memory care facility. It discusses various activities that can slow down dementia’s advance and explains how new technologies help keep seniors safe and reduce caregivers’ stress. It also lists useful resources for seniors, their caregivers and family members.

Well-balanced activities provide numerous benefits to seniors facing cognitive decline. They challenge the brain and encourage mental agility while also promoting emotional well-being. Family members who get involved in these activities can benefit as well; shared activities help maintain bonds at risk of breaking as memory loss increases. Examples of these activities include:

• Life skills: such as baking cookies
• Cognitive skills: such as playing cards
• Sensory activities: including hand massages
• Music pursuits: playing an instrument or listening to music
• Socialization: such as a picnic with loved ones or visiting a memory café
• Reminiscing: such as looking over old photographs

Sensory activities and therapies engage all five senses: sight, touch, hearing, taste and smell. They also stimulate cognitive and emotional responses, helping seniors maintain links with their environment and reconnect those that were lost. Let’s look at the most common activities/therapies in a little more detail.

You can help a loved one improve their attention with colorful objects, patterns and images. For example, with your involvement, they can complete a puzzle or arrange flowers in a vase. These activities concentrate the mind and enhance the ability to focus, as well as maintaining/improving hand-to-eye coordination.

Art therapy allows your loved one to express their emotions, which can reduce anxiety and therefore encourage social interaction. It can also boost memory if the artwork’s subject connects to the past, such as their childhood home or a favorite vacation destination. Additionally, art therapy can improve visual perception and motor skills.

Playing your loved one’s familiar songs and melodies can provoke their emotions and memories. Studies have shown music to be an effective intervention type for improving cognitive function. This is because it activates multiple areas of the brain responsible for the perception of sounds, rhythms and lyrics and the person’s responses to these stimuli.

Tactile stimulation can enhance sensory awareness through touch. For example, your loved one may hold different fabrics to help them recognize varying textures and surfaces. Their brains will recognize differences in temperature too, as well as size, shape and weight. This form of stimulation can be relaxing, particularly if the object used is something the senior is emotionally connected to.

Objects with personal significance can help your loved one retain memories they’re at risk of losing. Many seniors have a memory box with old photographs, keepsakes and other items that can help them recall memories. It’s important to coax the senior into discussing their memories relating to each object, as this can strengthen their power of recall.

Because pets give unconditional love, interacting with them can reduce stress and help the senior avoid feelings of loneliness and depression. They’re also conversation starters that encourage socialization with others, and the discipline required to care for them helps seniors stay focused. Memory care facilities with structured cognitive therapy programs frequently incorporate small animals, particularly cats and dogs.

The previous activities are often more effective if experienced with others, such as caregivers, family members and friends. As socialization is vital to maintaining/enhancing cognitive abilities, let’s look at how group activities can help.

If your loved one worked in an office environment, recreating one in a safe space can help them stave off memory loss. For example, you can design an office in their home that includes a desk, chair, telephone and computer. Include files that need to be sorted and organized as this requires the person to focus on specific tasks.

An indoor garden can stimulate the senses, particularly sight, smell and touch. The proximity of plants and flowers creates a soothing and calming environment, and the maintenance they require, such as watering and pruning, helps memory retention and cognitive function.

Many seniors have DIY skills honed over many years spent doing little jobs in and around the home. Although it may no longer be safe for them to use some electric tools, there are jobs they can do. These include shopping at the local hardware store for materials and painting and decorating.

Many memory care facilities have pretend nurseries on site for seniors with mid- to late-stage dementia. There are numerous benefits associated with mother-like activities, such as changing a doll’s clothes, cuddling them and even singing songs to put them to sleep. Although not for everyone, this form of therapy is known to calm some seniors whose conditions can make them agitated and aggressive.

Pet therapy is quite common in memory care facilities. Several have on-site farms or animal stations that bring residents into contact with a range of animals, including horses. Some studies have shown proximity to animals can reduce depression in seniors with dementia. 

Group activities is an umbrella term that covers any activity your loved one engages in with other seniors who have dementia. In addition to the sensory benefits, they can foster social engagement and generate feelings of belonging. Several studies show that group activities can significantly reduce the likelihood of developing dementia and mitigate its effects if it’s already apparent. Here are several of the most common group activities found in memory care facilities.

As holidays are often associated with traditions, they can evoke feelings of nostalgia in older people. Engaging in familiar activities, such as sharing a Thanksgiving meal, can provide a sense of continuity that’s comforting for many seniors. Decorations, music and the generally festive atmosphere provide sensory stimulation, and social interactions can bring people closer together.

Community gardening provides opportunities for seniors with dementia to participate in tasks in small groups. It allows them to interact with nature while connecting with others. The smells and textures of the soil, flowers and plants offer several sensory benefits, particularly to touch, sight and smell. There’s also cognitive stimulation during the planning stage and a sense of accomplishment from seeing the garden in bloom.

For many seniors, their faith is integral to their lives. Religious activities help them satisfy their spiritual needs and provide comfort during times when their faith in themselves may be low due to cognitive decline and their general health. Religious services typically follow routines and rituals the senior has practiced many times before. This predictability can be a source of comfort and stability in a world that sometimes feels confusing and frightening to them.

Regular exercise is known to reduce cognitive decline, including dementia. It can also enhance emotional well-being through improved feelings of self-esteem and help seniors get a better night’s sleep. Group exercise appropriate to the person’s abilities also allows seniors to share positive experiences, increasing a sense of belonging and developing friendships. Classes may include chair yoga, dancing or simply walking outdoors in secure areas.

While belonging to a group is important to combating the advance of memory loss, developing life skills is also vital. Let’s look further into this area of enhancing cognition.

New technologies play an increasing part in helping seniors with dementia. The following are some examples of how they can help stimulate the brain while also being safe and convenient. These technologies can also provide detailed information on the senior’s interactions with devices, which caregivers may use to modify care programs.

• Live cams: Live cams allow loved ones to engage directly with seniors in memory care facilities. These cams enable loved ones to engage with and observe residents in real time when they can’t be personally present.
• Virtual reality: VR technologies can provide cognitive and sensory stimulation in safe environments. Examples include virtual tours of famous places and locations personally known to the senior.
• Snoezelen room: Also known as sensory rooms, these provide a soothing and stimulating experience targeting specific senses. They typically include gentle lighting effects, comforting scents, calming sounds and tactile materials.
• Tablets: Touchscreen devices with specialized software can store a wide range of cognitive exercises and memory games. 

Caregivers needn’t rely only on themselves and the activities they use to help their loved ones. There are numerous organizations operating nationwide that can help as well. The following table includes those that have countrywide footprints, but you should also check local directories because there will probably be others operating in your area.