Brain games are great tools to help residents with memory and cognition problems. Keeping the brain more active and engaged in slightly challenging but fun activities may prevent further decline. In senior memory care services, it’s essential to offer simple games for dementia patients.
Dementia is a complex condition that affects both senior adults and their loved ones. At Westminster Place, we’re here to ease the transition into memory care. Among other benefits, we offer dementia patient games, outings, and assistance to enrich your loved one’s life. Contact us at 903.329.6520 for more information about our memory care services.
Why Choose Simple Activities for Dementia Patients?
Dementia occurs on a spectrum, meaning residents may struggle with varying degrees of memory loss. As a result, it’s important to keep dementia patient games easy enough for everyone to enjoy. Simple activities for dementia patients should encourage residents to think, remember, and detect patterns without overwhelming them.
Ideally, these games won’t become overly frustrating or hopeless for residents with dementia. In fact, they should empower residents to use their brains in ways that previously felt too difficult or impossible.
Games For Dementia Patients
Keeping the brain active can be achieved with several simple activities, including:
Putting Together Puzzles
Puzzles are very rewarding for adults of all cognitive abilities. When it comes to games for dementia patients, jigsaw puzzles can offer healthy challenges without too many rules.
Jigsaw puzzles require residents with dementia to remember small amounts of information at a time. They also use visual-spatial reasoning skills, which can start to decline as dementia gets worse.
Best of all, seniors with dementia get to enjoy a pleasing view of their completed puzzle once they finish it. This gives them a sense of accomplishment and confidence.
Playing Short Games of Go Fish
Go Fish is a hit among younger crowds, but it can also delight and entertain residents with dementia.
In this simple card game, players must lay down matching pairs of cards and draw random cards if they don’t have any matches. Matching cards together helps with memory, reasoning, and pattern identification. This is one of the best simple games for dementia patients, and it’s lots of fun.
Group Bingo Games
In bingo, a host calls out a number, letter, or combination of the two. Any resident with this item on their bingo card places a marker over that spot. Residents who place four markers in a row win a prize—it’s that simple.
Bingo can bring residents with dementia together for an afternoon of fun and mental stimulation. Since this game hardly has any rules, it’s perfect for seniors with memory challenges.
Uno: Popular Card-Based Game
This activity helps immensely with color and number recognition. For residents with dementia, it requires almost no short-term memory but fosters other cognitive skills.
Each player must identify the card on top of the center pile. Then, they place one of their cards with either the same number or the same color on top of it.
Residents with more advanced dementia can easily follow this simple card game. Teaching them to call “uno” at the appropriate times offers a long-term memory challenge to keep them stimulated.
Very Simple Word Activities: Crossword Puzzles and More
Depending on each resident’s degree of memory loss and cognitive challenges, they may be able to participate in simple word games. Crossword puzzles are a favorite pastime for many senior adults.
In addition to crossword puzzles, you can offer games like:
- Scrabble
- Words with Friends
- 20 Questions
- Anagrams
- Hangman
These games encourage language-related cognition. As their dementia progresses, it’s important for residents to stay sharp on letter recognition and speech formation.
Get the Best Memory Care for Your Loved One With Dementia at Westminster Place
At Westminster Place, our experienced team is here to offer a supportive and stimulating environment for seniors with dementia. Your loved one will be in the best hands with our knowledgeable care providers.
If you’re ready to get the best possible care for a senior facing dementia, reach out to our team to learn more. Call the team at Westminster Place at 903.329.6520 to use our online contact form for information about memory care today.