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19 Home-Based Activities for People with Dementia

12 minute readLast updated July 3, 2024
Written by Susanna Guzman
Reviewed by Niki Gewirtz, senior living expertNiki Gewirtz is a senior new hire support specialist with A Place for Mom and has advised families for more than 20 years.
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If you’re caring for someone who has dementia and lives at home, creative activities and those that engage their senses, their memories, and their sense of accomplishment can be calming and support cognitive health. Home-based activities are also good ways to connect with your loved one in a comfortable space. Each of these activities can be tailored for any stage of dementia.

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Key Takeaways

  1. Creative activities keep seniors engaged and allow for emotional expression.
  2. Reminiscing activities provide cues to recall cherished memories.
  3. Seniors enjoy feelings of accomplishment and self-worth through simple tasks like folding laundry and solving puzzles.
  4. Activities that are tailored your loved one’s abilities reduce frustration and anxiety.

Arts and crafts activities for seniors with dementia

One way to keep seniors with dementia engaged is to delve into their past interests or talents. Niki Gewirtz, a Senior Living Advisor at A Place for Mom and former executive director of a memory care community, recommends gaining a deep understanding of your loved one’s hobbies and strengths so you can tailor activities to their interests and abilities. These activities are not only fun, but also can be therapeutic.

1. Paint or draw

Painting and drawing are ways to express feelings safely and with creativity. Encourage the use of bold, bright colors on big surfaces. Rolls of butcher paper enable seniors with dementia to create without encountering the stress of defined spaces.

2. Make something

Activities involving different textures, such as playing with clay, offer tactile stimulation for dementia patients. Crafting with these materials or even exploring different shapes and sizes can be beneficial and enjoyable.

Your loved one may also enjoy gardening, cooking, or baking.

3. Create collages

Cut out images from magazines or print old ads and articles. Choose subjects that fit your loved one’s interests, like cooking, cars, or fashion. Another idea is to scan and print old family pictures. Let your loved one with dementia arrange and rearrange the elements to create pictures or scrapbook pages.

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Reminiscence activities for dementia patients

Engaging in reminiscence therapy is a delightful way to help your loved one recall cherished memories and exercise their cognitive abilities. These activities use sensory and visual cues to access the past, making them both meaningful and comforting.

4. Watch classic movies and TV shows

Arrange a nostalgic movie night. Whether your loved one was a fan of westerns like Gunsmoke or adored musicals like The King and I, watching these old favorites is entertaining and stimulates memories.

5. Listen to music and sing

Music therapy improves understanding, mood, behavior, and communication for seniors who have dementia.[01] Stream classics or sing memorable songs such as holiday carols.

6. Look through photo albums

One of the most heartwarming activities for people who have dementia involves revisiting old photo albums. These albums, filled with images from their younger years, can reignite treasured memories. You could also digitize these pictures and create virtual memory books.

7. Flip through magazines and catalogs

Looking at magazines or catalogs they once enjoyed, such as Life or Cosmopolitan, or even the Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog, can be one of the most engaging things for your loved one to do.

Fulfilling activities for people who have dementia

Fulfilling activities can significantly contribute to your loved one’s quality of life, fostering feelings of achievement and self-worth.[02] These activities should be tailored to the senior’s cognitive level, ensuring they feel engaged and productive without being overwhelmed.

8. Do simple chores

Folding laundry is a calming activity for some seniors who have dementia. The familiar process of folding soft fabrics and the scent of classic detergents can evoke comforting memories. Start with uncomplicated items like hand towels and T-shirts for this simple yet fulfilling task.

Cooking with another adult is another simple chore that can be both satisfying and productive.

9. Enjoy hands-on activities

For people who used to enjoy do-it-yourself projects, suggest activities that yield visible results. Painting wooden boards or assembling PVC pipes are ideal things to do, particularly for seniors who have good motor function. For people whose dementia is more advanced, wooden or plastic play tools may provide a similar sense of achievement.

10. Untie knots

Tie loose knots along a durable, comfortable rope. The act of untying can provide both cognitive and physical stimulation without causing frustration or discomfort.

11. Do a puzzle

Puzzles, such as large-piece, color, or shape puzzles with tactile pieces, can be both entertaining and cognitively beneficial for people who have dementia.

12. Play a game

Simple board games like Guess Who? and Battleship are ideal because they stimulate memory and cognitive skills in a fun and engaging way without causing confusion or frustration. Guess Who? can help with facial recognition and memory, while Battleship encourages strategic thinking.

Even more playful options such as a remote-controlled pet can bring immense joy and engagement. These toys can stimulate a sense of caring and provide amusement as your loved one controls the pet’s movements.

Sensory activities for seniors with dementia

The following dementia activities can stimulate the senses and evoke fond memories, leading to a more fulfilled and engaged life for your loved one.[03]

13. Stop and smell the roses

Scents can trigger stronger emotional memories than visuals, as they’re processed in the brain’s memory control areas. Surrounding your loved one with familiar smells, like fresh-cut grass or the aroma of warm bread, could evoke joyful memories and emotions.

Short walks and gentle massages with a favorite lotion can also be calming and enjoyable. It’s important to avoid smells that could cause distress, such as diesel fuel or gunpowder, which can be triggers for older veterans.

14. Touch old, familiar objects

Engaging in tactile activities for dementia patients can stimulate reminiscence. Even if they can’t recall specific events, touching familiar objects, such as keys or hand-embroidered beads, can trigger memories.

15. Taste favorite foods

Like smells, tastes can elicit emotions and memories. Your grandmother’s famous chocolate cake may spark your mom’s memory of childhood birthdays; a sip of instant coffee may remind her of quiet, early mornings at home.

16. Feel diverse textures

Experiencing different textures can be a fulfilling dementia activity that provides sensory stimulation and memory cues. Consider those that align with their interests: soft animal fur for pet lovers or damp soil and leaves for seniors who enjoy gardening. Create an activity around this by making a bag of varied textures to be sorted by touch. Squishing clay and handling soft fabrics are especially enjoyable for people whose dementia is at an advanced stage.

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Technology-based activities for seniors who have dementia

Technology can offer stimulating, engaging, and mentally nourishing experiences for seniors who have dementia. Here are some innovative ways technology can keep seniors engaged at home.

17. Discover nature and art through live cams

A wealth of global attractions, from zoos and nature preserves to museums, offer live internet streams. Whether your loved one has a fondness for animals or an appreciation for art, they can experience ever-changing visual stimulation without leaving the comfort of home.

18. Venture globally with Google Earth

Google Earth offers a virtual exploration experience like no other through user-uploaded photos. Whether your loved one cherishes memories of their childhood hometown or dreams of the Sahara Desert, Google Earth offers a gateway to explore these places.

19. Create a family video tablet

Video calls and chats can keep families connected, and technology can offer comfort even when a conversation isn’t possible. Creating a collection of videos featuring family members, beloved pets, and memorable moments on a tablet can be an ideal home activity. This personalized tablet can provide solace during restless times or assist with sleep. If a tablet is too complex, consider transferring these precious videos onto a videotape or DVD.

Dementia care activities in memory care

If it’s becoming difficult to care for your loved one with dementia at home, you may want to consider memory care.

If you’re not sure whether memory care communities will be able to fulfill and engage your loved one, A Place for Mom tracks dementia-specific activities, amenities, and services across our network. Below, we’ve highlighted proprietary data on how many communities within our network incorporate these dementia-specific features:[04]

  • About 60% of memory care communities offer cooking activities
  • Nearly 75% offer art activities to engage residents in unique ways
  • Almost 60% of communities offer reminiscence programs dedicated to helping seniors recall cherished memories
  • Over 58% of communities offer sensory-based programs to engage residents with dementia through sound, touch, scent, taste, and sight
  • Over 80% of communities offer musical activities like karaoke and live musical performances to soothe common dementia symptoms
  • Over 75% of communities offer an enclosed courtyard to help residents enjoy the outdoors safely

If you’re not quite ready to move your loved one but still want help around the home, you may consider home care.

To help you learn more about your care options and which is right for your family, reach out to A Place for Mom’s Senior Living Advisors. They can offer advice and help you find local care options that meet your loved one’s unique needs and preferences, all at no cost to your family.

Families also ask

You can make an activity blanket to keep your parent stimulated by choosing fabric and attaching items of different textures, like buttons, zippers, or ribbons, to it.

You can buy activities for dementia patients online. Some vendors specialize in toys and games for senior with dementia. You can also make activities from items you have at home.

Yes, fidget blankets keep dementia patients stimulated and give them something to do with their hands. It can ease symptoms of restlessness and anxiety.

There’s not a one-size-fits-all amount of activity for people who have dementia. Experts recommend 15 to 30 minutes of cognitive activity each day, along with physical activity. Watch for signs of fatigue, agitation, or confusion. They may indicate that your loved one has had enough.

Yes.In the late stages of dementia, people often have significant memory loss and may have difficulty communicating or recognizing loved ones. However, they can still benefit from sensory and emotional experiences, such as looking at family photos or holding a soft blanket.

SHARE THE ARTICLE

  1. Allison TA, Gubner JM, Oh A, et al. (2022, July). Meaningful activities and sources of meaning for community-dwelling people living with dementia. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association.

  2. Maneemai O, Alvarado MCC, Intriago LGC, et al. (2024, March 18). Sensory integration: a novel approach for healthy ageing and dementia management. Brain Sciences.

  3. A Place for Mom. (2025). A Place for Mom proprietary data.

Written by
Susanna Guzman
Susanna Guzman is a professional writer and content executive with 30 years of experience in medical publishing, digital strategy, nonprofit leadership, and health information technology. She has written for familydoctor.org, Mayo Clinic, March of Dimes, and Forbes Inc., and has advised Fortune 500 companies on their content strategy and operations. Susanna is committed to creating content that honors the covenant between patients and their providers.
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Merritt Whitley is a former editor and creative copywriter for A Place for Mom, specializing in senior health, memory care, and lifestyle articles. With eight years of experience writing for senior audiences, Merritt has managed multiple print publications, social media channels, and blogs. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Eastern Illinois University.
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Niki Gewirtz is a senior new hire support specialist with A Place for Mom and has advised families for more than 20 years.
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