What suggestions do you have that would help a man with dementia occupy his time in the winter?

Question

I have a very dear male neighbor, age 80, who suffers from dementia. He lives with his wife. He got through the spring and summer fairly well as he kept busy outside doing such things as weeding, watering, washing the car, and so on, even though he repeated the same activities several times a day! I am very concerned how he will cope this winter. He can't play games, do jigsaw puzzles, or even read. He is in excellent physical shape. Do you have any ideas or suggestions on activities he could do that would occupy his time? I would be interested in hearing from others about any personal experiences they have had with friends or family members suffereing from dementia. Such a cruel disease...

Answer 1

cruel it is... since he liked washing his car how about assigning him cleaning jobs where he can't hurt himself - Maybe scrubbing the bathroom and if it get done 3 times a day all the better.

Answer 2

My dad can't really do jigsaw puzzles that well anymore but we let him "help". He can sort the pieces by shape (pick out the edges) and if the pieces have a design that includes lines or letter he can sometimes put those together. Basically my mom and I give him a puzzle box and have him pick out the edges of that one, while we work on completing a different puzzle. That way he's in the room with us, interacting (as best he can) and he feels useful. Even if after he leaves we mix the pieces back up and have him sort them again another day, he doesn't realize it as long as he doesn't see the picture on the box cover.
He might enjoy drawing or painting or coloring. Maybe bring over some supplies as if you're going to do a craft project with his wife and see if he wants to join in.
I often take my dad with me when I go places--we take my four parrots to the vet (usually all on separate days) and my cat to another vet. Or we go to the petstore to buy supplies or fish and look at the animals. I tell him I need his help pushng that big carriage when I go to Home Depot, and then sometimes I'll buy him a meal or coffee for "helping" me. This gets him out of the house, gives the world exposure to AD patients, and gives him a feeling of being needed and useful. And it gets him out of my mom's hair.
It's nice of you to be concerned for your neighbor. So many people don't care or are mean to those with AD.

Answer 3

If he is your neighbor and you are very close why don't you try to visit him?? His wife would probally enjoy the company also. Winter is a bad time for alot of people to get out. Bring pictures of trips you have been on, Watch some tv with him if they have one or even try to have him over to your house, a change of enviroment is also good for them sometimes. How about cooking a meal for both of them and make it special? You are a very special person to be concerned!!

Answer 4

My mother died of dementia a year ago, she was 64! We tried to keep her busy with things she was kind of obsessed with before getting ill..

Like cleaning, and folding clothes..For some it will be their job, or tinkering with motors etc..

But it will get to a point quickly where that will no longer work and they will wander off and get very irritable and angry.

I am surprised he is able to still be at home. Maybe adult day care for a few hours a day would be nice, it is like going to the senior center for fun

Answer 5

well there are some small ping pong tables out there that can help keep him busy. you can place them against the wall so he can play against himself or with someone else if they wanna play. i only paid 15$ for mine. and they stow away right under a bed or in a closet.

Answer 6

if he needs more support in this
www.alfonsven.com
he designed a very sophisticated cure
just take 2 milksugar grains a day and that's it
no excersizes no foodpatternchanges
it's very easy and will cause profound changes.
the good news
it's cheap!
70 euro's for a cure

Answer 7

give him lots of good back massages, he will like that, I do.