Senior memory care for an aging loved one can sometimes be stressful, making it difficult for you to see past the day-to-day routine. Participating in leisure activities can help both sides to reconnect and relieve stress. Whether your loved is sedentary or has a higher degree of mobility, the important thing is that you are spending time together and that they are getting attention and interaction.

Clover Care Home offers some suggestions for senior memory care activities:

Staying Connected With Family

Living in a senior memory care community can get lonely, especially when there is little contact with the family. Visiting as often as possible can keep seniors connected and helps to reassure them that they’re not forgotten. Bring other family members with you – especially children and teens.

• Arrange video chats or phone calls for family members who live far away.

• Share current photos and videos and share Facebook feeds. It will help keep seniors in the loop on everyday family activities.

• Include your senior in family celebrations if possible. Take plenty of pictures so they can revisit the family time.

Photos and Scrapbooks

Bring old family photos or videos; it’s a great way to spend time together and strengthen your bond. They are also great conversation starters. Create a scrapbook together, or start building a family tree – it’s something that’s both fun and meaningful!

Share the Gift of Music

Music is a wonderful activity to help with senior memory care, with its universal ability to boost mood, reduce agitation and increase engagement. Play their favorite songs, or set up a simple music player so they can listen anytime. Sit and listen together, or have an impromptu sing along. Listen as they reminisce over memories from younger days.

Pets and Fur-Babies

Bring a family pet – a dog or a cat that your senior can stroke and pet – it is a highly therapeutic activity for effective senior memory care. Research has found that spending time playing with animals lowers heart rate, blood pressure and stress levels. It can even lower cholesterol, prevent depression and protect against heart disease and stroke.

Enjoy A Meal Together

Most people enjoy companionship when they eat. You can join your senior at the community dining room or take them out to a restaurant. Sharing a meal is great for senior memory care. Bring along snacks or plan a little picnic of tea and cookies, crackers and cheese, or something your older adult really loves.

Fresh Air and Sunshine

Take the opportunity to help your senior get some fresh air and exercise instead of staying in their room. Take them outside to the courtyard or garden. Just taking a walk around inside the facility is still a great activity – and good for their health.

Field Trips and Outings

Going out can be a treat for your senior. Pick them up and take them anywhere they’d like to go – to religious services, the hair salon, a drugstore or the shopping mall. Enjoy a meal together at favorite restaurant, get an ice cream treat or stroll through a museum or park. Even a scenic drive or to visit nearby friends or family members are all effective activities for senior memory care.

There are many different things you can do to help your senior who is living in a care facility. In addition to those we’ve mentioned previously, here are just a few more ideas to help with your loved one’s senior memory care.

• Give a Massage or Manicure

• Read Aloud To Them

• Watch TV or a Movie

• Play a Board Game

Many of these activities are equally as good for seniors who are seriously ailing or have dementia or Alzheimer’s. A family member’s visits can be an incredibly supportive and meaningful part of senior memory care, even if the senior can’t fully participate or doesn’t remember it later – the feelings of happiness and contentment will stay with them.

When your older family member lives in a care facility, spending time with you will brighten their day. Knowing when you’ll visit next can give them something to look forward to.

Clover Care Home is a senior memory care facility in Shawnee that provides quality care for its residents. We offer a wide range of activities to boost and sustain mental, physical and emotional health, no matter the age or condition. Senior adults can have a very rewarding life here – a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise, eating right and getting proper sleep. We encourage older adults to experience the fullness of life in the community with dignity, joy and the highest levels of independence their health will allow. Call 913-991-2605 if you are looking for a senior memory care home for yourself or a loved one.