Dealing with the effects of Alzheimer's Disease is a long and challenging process for the everyone involved. It is especially difficult when the late stage of the illness is reached.

Dementia patients can benefit greatly from exposure to soothing and sensory environments.

Caring for people with dementia poses many challenges. As the disease progresses, personality and behaviour changes often occur.

Pets are good for people in many ways. It is not uncommon to pick up a magazine or newspaper and read yet another article describing the benefits that family pets have on long-term care residents, hospital patients and sick children.

Starting a Leisure & Lifestyle Program requires creative thinking and enthusiasm. Your main point of reference will be the assessment of your clients.

Developing practical, efficient and meaningful leisure programs for people suffering from Alzheimer's Disease requires creative thinking.

There are quite a number of ways to present this activity because any sort of picture or shape is suitable.

Matching colour games can be made from coloured buttons, milk bottle tops, coloured wooden blocks, pom-poms or you can recycle incomplete games such as chess.

Beautiful scrapbooks made from recycled magazines. Make them to suit the interests of individuals. Thanks Kellie for this wonderful activity!

This has always been a very popular game at all the facilities where I have worked. If you don't have a sewing machine ask a volunteer or one of your clients' relatives to do it for you.

There are two ways to play this game.
Great for dementia patients!

Each resident will bring her own handbag to be cleaned-up. The idea is to have them engaging in cleaning up and talking about the contents of their handbags.

Opportunity to reminisce. Focus of interest outside routine.

To promote socialization. Provide a sense of purpose.

Memory recall and reminiscing

Improve dexterity (grasping objects) and practice decision-making.

Improve hand-eye coordination and enhance motor skills

Improve dexterity and promote dimension discerning

Promote recognition of colours. Develop motor skills.

Fun exercise and opportunity for social interaction.

Suitable to clients in first stage dementia (small objects are dangerous for later stages).

Enhance memories and provide stimulation by utilising interesting textures.

Sensorial stimulation and provision of home-like activity.

Provide sensory stimulation and enjoyment, ideal activity for Mother's Day

Make clients feel special and keep hands and nails clean.

Sensory stimulation through the use of essential oils

Promote friendship and stimulates physically.

Engagement of residents in tasks they used to do in their own home. A very calming activity.

Upper limbs exercise and promote sharing and socialization

Promote alertness and sensory stimulation

Provide bed ridden clients with a feeling of enjoyment and well being