Life with a parent before the diagnosis will never be the same as after, but may be even better.  As you work through finding ways to spend enjoyable time together, you will learn more and more about that parent, discovering aspects of his or her personality that were previously buried in the parent/child relationship.

Because dementia is a progressive condition and the senior’s abilities will change, it is important to enjoy this time of friendship building and discovery with the senior.

Crossword Puzzles or Word Searches with assistance/cueing- Word finding, word recognition and similar functions may be areas of difficulty in persons with early dementia, so activities that involve words are not just helpful but offer the senior a sense of pride and accomplishment.  An example might be asking the person a 4 letter word for paid employment, then cueing by saying “When you left the house in the morning to go the store, you were going to ______” .  Provide similar clues till the individual “gets” the answer.

Exercise – depending upon the physical limitations and abilities of the senior, exercise can be a brisk walk, a seated exercise sequence such as those seen on television, or even some form of housework, with assistance or guidance.  Exercise will help elevate mood, as sadness often accompanies the diagnosis of dementia.  Walk and talk is one of my favorites, offering an opportunity to tune in to the surroundings, such as noticing the colours of the trees and bushes, the birds, while engaging in exercise.

Music- listening to appropriate music is important, as it helps with long term memory, word recognition and elicits emotional responses.  Music can elevate mood, and can also help with the grieving process (many seniors go through a kind of grieving at some point during early dementia, as this diagnosis most assuredly signifies a loss for the senior that he or she fully recognises).  Helping the senior reminisce about earlier times, feelings, and life experiences can be a wonderful shared experience.

Easy Card Games & Board Games- even seniors who were not game players in earlier years will often agree to engage in games such as Tile Rummy ( great for sequencing, number recognition and eye/hand coordination) Scrabble ( simplified and with verbal/ physical cueing) Whist, Uno, Sorry, Yahtzee, Dominoes, and similar activities.   Any of these games can still be played, with adaptations (remember the crossword puzzle clues?) to provide success and enjoyment for the senior.

Kitchen Activities- if the senior is no longer able to safely bake, the helper can bake a cake or cookies, and make an activity out of decorating.  An assessment by occupational therapist will determine which kitchen tasks the senior can safely engage in and which must be supervised.

The activities mentioned are just a minute sampling of activities suitable for those with early dementia and ways to adapt the activity to the senior.

Individuals with early dementia retain many of their previous abilities and interests and are able to enjoy success with some helpful cueing, direction and guidance.   Some people will respond better to demonstration, as opposed to verbal instruction.  Some will respond better to pictures than words.

The idea is to experiment with the activities the senior already knows and loves and find the best way for that activity to be enjoyed with success.  It is better to make it too simple at first and modify upwards than to make it too difficult.  Those with early dementia should be given failure proof activities. We, the caregivers, just need to help them find the way to success.