One out of nine U.S. adults over the age of 64 has Alzheimer’s. The older you are, the higher the risk of being diagnosed with this unforgiving disease. With people 84 or older, almost 35% have the disease. When your mom or dad is experiencing cognitive decline, it’s harder to engage them in fun activities. These care games are easy for a home care services provider and someone with dementia to play and help work on memory retention.
Crazy Eights
In Crazy Eights, players are all dealt cards and play them one at a time by matching the last discarded suit or number in a pile. If there is no suitable card, the player must draw cards until there is a playable card. Eights in this game are wilds.
You only have to match a card’s suit or number, making it an easy game for someone with diminishing memory skills. It’s also suitable for younger children so that the entire family can play.
Go Fish
The object in Go Fish is to form sets of four cards and be the first to set down all of the cards in your hand. Do this by asking for cards from other players to build your sets of four.
If the player doesn’t have the card, they tell you to “Go Fish.” Draw a card from the pile to see if you get what you need. If you do, you get another turn.
Memory
One of the best ways to create a fun memory game is by purchasing business card stock. Instead of printing out business cards, print out family members’ or pets’ pictures. Create duplicates so that you have at least 24 sets of matching symbols. Lay them all out facedown in a square.
Each player turns over two cards and finds to find the matching sets. In the end, the person with the most sets wins. Make sure the focus is on having fun and not winning or losing.
If you can’t print out pictures, a deck of cards is also suitable. You can also purchase games in stores that contain simple images like apples, cats, etc.
Rack-O
Rack-O is an older game where you put the numbered cards from lowest value to highest. It’s perfect for the earlier stages of Alzheimer’s. You’re dealt ten cards into a plastic rack. Your goal is to remove cards that don’t fit into numerical order and replace them with cards that do.
For example, your ten cards are 19, 5, 25, 30, 2, 10, 23, 12, 28, and 7. Draw a card from the pile or the discards and fit it into the appropriate spot. If you drew a 3, place it before the 5 and get off to a good start numerically.
Elder care aides are essential for a parent whose memory is impacted by dementia. Call a home care specialist to learn more about elder care services near you.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Home Care in Bethel, CT, please contact the caring staff at Elderly Caregivers, LLC today. (203) 628-7438
Sources:
https://www.alz.org/media/documents/alzheimers-facts-and-figures.pdf
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