Mental Activities for Clients with Dementia

Examples of mental activities your client may be able to do include:

• Reminiscing (talk about old times, watch family videos, look at family photographs).
• Reading together (books, magazines, newspapers, or internet blogs on subjects that interest your client).
• Cooking together (mash potatoes, stir batter or shuck corn).
• Sorting objects by color, shape or type.  For example, sorting socks, cards by suit or spoons by size.
• Completing puzzles (word search, and jigsaw puzzles).
• Listening to music (can include singing, dancing, and playing a simple instrument).
• Going through “Sensory Boxes.”  

TIPS FOR INCORPORATING MENTAL ACTIVITY INTO YOUR CLIENT’S DAY

• Remembering the past gives people a way to show who they are, what they’ve accomplished in their lives, and a chance to relive happy times.   For people with Alzheimer’s Disease, it is a way to talk easily about things they do remember.
• Ask about family photos your client keeps.  Encourage your client to tell you about the school he attended or what he did for a living. 
• Consider reading the day’s newspaper headlines or one interesting article from the newspaper to your client.
• Talk to your clients about crafts and hobbies.  Ask them what they would enjoy doing.  But, be sure you check with your supervisor before providing clients with craft materials—especially scissors, glue, and paint.  Some clients need to be supervised when working with these items.
• Helping out in the kitchen can include putting groceries away (where they belong), creating a meal plan, or choosing recipes out of cookbooks.
• Play simple word games.  For example, you might ask your client, “What’s the opposite of up?”  Or try a simple game of charades.  Mimic an activity like eating or writing and see if your client can guess what you are doing.