Activities That Stimulate Your Mom’s Cognitive Skills

Six and a half million U.S. adults have Alzheimer’s disease. It’s a number that keeps climbing each year. When your mom has Alzheimer’s, it can be disheartening to watch the progression. You’ll do anything possible to help her navigate the different stages, and one thing you’ll want to do is continually stimulate her cognitive skills.

Play Music

 Home Care Reston, VA: Cognitive Skills

Music is one of the favorite ways to stimulate the senses in people with Alzheimer’s. Play music from your mom’s favorite generation. If you find her often talking about her teen years, pick out music from that decade.

If she wants to dance, which is likely, clear some space and let her. Join her when you can and treasure the quality moments you’ll have together.

Explore the Outdoors

Take your mom outside for plenty of walks. If you can go to a wildlife sanctuary or flower garden, she’ll be fascinated by the flowers, the scents, and the animals she sees. Bring a camera to take photos of her having fun. You’ll appreciate those photos years from now.

While you’re outside together, see if your mom wants to engage in activities like painting or sketching that engage her brain. Bring some crayons or colored pencils and sketch what you see. You can also bring some watercolors and canvas paper and paint pictures together.

Plant a Garden

Get outside with your mom and work in a garden. A raised bed is helpful as it eliminates the need for her to bend over or sit on the ground. If she does need to sit on the ground to plant vegetables or pull weeds, have a garden seat with handles available to help her easily get up after.

Make sure you plant items she loves so that she’ll have many foods she enjoys eating. Her tastes may change in the months and years to come. Often, foods with a higher sugar content, such as berries and beets, are appealing to people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Play Children’s Games

Find children’s games that your mom will enjoy with you. Games like Memory, Chutes and Ladders, and Picture Bingo are good options. They’re not difficult for her, and they help her work on counting, picture identification, and matching skills.

In the early stages, she’ll be able to handle games like Yahtzee, Backgammon, and Sorry. Find favorite games and pull them out often. You’ll enjoy spending time with her, and her brain benefits from counting numbers and recognizing patterns.

Make sure you’re also introducing your mom to other people. She needs to work with caregivers who are trained in Alzheimer’s care. This ensures you get a break while also helping her work on communication and socialization skills with others. Call an Alzheimer’s care specialist to learn more.

If you or an aging loved-one is considering home care in Reston, VA please contact the caring staff at Butters Home Health Care today. (703) 371-2113

Sources:
https://www.alz.org/media/documents/alzheimers-facts-and-figures.pdf