I just had a three-day visit with my 92-year-old Mom, at her AL faci!ity..so I was also looking for things to do (especially since they're now all confined to their rooms again, so no activities)
We had a fun time looking at old family slides from early 50's to 70's...I converted them to digital (super tedious!) and put on a thumb drive, so we could watch on the laptop. I made some popcorn and tea, and it was like when we used to watch on the screen/projector. A lot of shots she didn't always remember, but she recognized people and some places and it was good for conversation.
As mentioned, music is wonderful. Songs from when she was a kid or teenager to young adult. My husband and I are musicians so we play for her. We gave her a little shaker egg, and she kept the beat!
Yesterday I gave her a manicure. I soaked her hands in warm sudsy water, which was fun as she liked playing in the bubbles. Then trimmed and filed her nails. And last a gentle hand massage with a nice fruity lotion. I was going to paint her nails, but decided not to as I wouldn't be back for two weeks. But that would've been fun with a sparkly polish.
I also got her some flowers that we arranged in a vase. I got 3 separate bunches, rather than a ready-made bouquet, so we made our own arrangement.
Although my mom doesn't care for jigsaw puzzles, I have noticed on visits to the AL that other families do the puzzles with their loved one. Maybe find a puzzle that has something she likes, like puppies, or pretty scenery.
I am thinking I would like to maybe bake some sugar cookies to take, and then we could decorate them together, like with icing, sprinkles etc. She used to bake lots of goodies, so I thought this might be a possibility.
Best wishes! I hope you and she have some special times together. I think my mom enjoys the activities, but I think she also appreciates the diversion, attention and pampering. I am happy to have this time.
How advanced is her dementia? Is just mild/moderate maybe try some "sensory" games: you put different spices in a small paper bag and have her smell it, see if she can guess what it is; or put textured objects in paper bags and have her reach in and feel it and guess what it is.
If she can still move her arms maybe play tabletop soccer by rolling a soft foam ball back and forth, trying to get it into some goal that you set up (can be just tape on the table) or balloon volleyball (just like it sounds, using a balloon and see if she can hit it up in the air or back to you). Use playing cards (face up) to see if she can match what's on the table to the card she picks out from the deck; or sorting colored socks, etc.
If you have a laptop or tablet my 99-yr old aunt with mod/adv dementia loved watching funny animal videos on YouTube. She laughs so hard at those! Needs to be big enough for her to see it and follow the action.
First, think about what kinds of things your mom liked to do before she had Parkinson's and dementia. Did she like hands on arts or craft-type things, e.g., knitting, sewing, painting? Did she like puzzles, word games, board games? Reading? Music? If her dementia is not yet too advanced, going over old family photos is nice; have her identify and tell stories about people in the photos -- and record her so you all will have it later. If she likes music, you could find some vocal music she likes and have her sing along. People with dementia often remember music very well and are able to sing or keep time with it, or even play an instrument if they were able to do so before. If you or a family member play an instrument, maybe you could treat her to an in-person concert. Here's a great overview article about music and dementia (and other kinds of brain damage): https://practicalneurology.com/articles/2017-june/music-and-dementia-an-overview
Second, physical activity is very important to maintain function in Parkinson's, so even if she has mobility issues there are a lot of physical activities that can be done seated. And they can be fun if you make a game of it. You could put on some music and she could "dance" while seated. Toss or kick a soft ball back and forth or hit a balloon back and forth. This website seems to have a nice list of free and fee-based exercise videos. https://med.stanford.edu/parkinsons/living-with-PD/exercise-videos.html
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We had a fun time looking at old family slides from early 50's to 70's...I converted them to digital (super tedious!) and put on a thumb drive, so we could watch on the laptop. I made some popcorn and tea, and it was like when we used to watch on the screen/projector. A lot of shots she didn't always remember, but she recognized people and some places and it was good for conversation.
As mentioned, music is wonderful. Songs from when she was a kid or teenager to young adult. My husband and I are musicians so we play for her. We gave her a little shaker egg, and she kept the beat!
Yesterday I gave her a manicure. I soaked her hands in warm sudsy water, which was fun as she liked playing in the bubbles. Then trimmed and filed her nails. And last a gentle hand massage with a nice fruity lotion. I was going to paint her nails, but decided not to as I wouldn't be back for two weeks. But that would've been fun with a sparkly polish.
I also got her some flowers that we arranged in a vase. I got 3 separate bunches, rather than a ready-made bouquet, so we made our own arrangement.
Although my mom doesn't care for jigsaw puzzles, I have noticed on visits to the AL that other families do the puzzles with their loved one. Maybe find a puzzle that has something she likes, like puppies, or pretty scenery.
I am thinking I would like to maybe bake some sugar cookies to take, and then we could decorate them together, like with icing, sprinkles etc. She used to bake lots of goodies, so I thought this might be a possibility.
Best wishes! I hope you and she have some special times together. I think my mom enjoys the activities, but I think she also appreciates the diversion, attention and pampering. I am happy to have this time.
If she can still move her arms maybe play tabletop soccer by rolling a soft foam ball back and forth, trying to get it into some goal that you set up (can be just tape on the table) or balloon volleyball (just like it sounds, using a balloon and see if she can hit it up in the air or back to you). Use playing cards (face up) to see if she can match what's on the table to the card she picks out from the deck; or sorting colored socks, etc.
If you have a laptop or tablet my 99-yr old aunt with mod/adv dementia loved watching funny animal videos on YouTube. She laughs so hard at those! Needs to be big enough for her to see it and follow the action.
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Second, physical activity is very important to maintain function in Parkinson's, so even if she has mobility issues there are a lot of physical activities that can be done seated. And they can be fun if you make a game of it. You could put on some music and she could "dance" while seated. Toss or kick a soft ball back and forth or hit a balloon back and forth. This website seems to have a nice list of free and fee-based exercise videos. https://med.stanford.edu/parkinsons/living-with-PD/exercise-videos.html