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Memory Care Therapies For Seniors With Dementia

June 4, 2021 Category:
Senior Care

Senior Care

Like all seniors, elderly adults with dementia can benefit from feeling engaged and productive. Memory care and other senior care communities offer entertainment and activities that are intended to encourage social interaction, brain stimulation, anxiety reduction, and inspire feelings of accomplishment.

As per the staff of various assisted living and senior care facilities, matching residents with activities that they enjoy can offer great results. This means that selecting the therapies wisely can help slow down memory loss and cognitive decline in seniors. Besides, many studies suggest that a combination of stimulating and calming activities can help reduce behaviors like aggression, restlessness and wandering, and dependence on medication. Shared below are some popular memory care therapies used by various senior care communities. These therapies can be beneficial for your senior loved if he/she is also suffering from dementia or other cognitive issues.

Music Therapy 

As per many studies conducted on dementia patients, listening to familiar music can improve memory, reduce levels of stress, agitation, and improve cognitive capabilities. Senior care communities make use of music therapy in many ways and some of them include:

  • Playing tunes from a jukebox or classic records.
  • Hosting singalongs.
  • Encouraging seniors who are interested in music to sing or play their instrument.
  • Providing the residents with simple percussion instruments to play their music.
  • Offering service of music therapists who lead music classes for seniors.

Stimulating Therapy 

Stimulating therapy is aimed to fight boredom, which can result in restlessness and anxiety. Assisted living and senior care communities design stimulating therapy sessions based on the cognitive ability of each resident and may:

  • Include picture puzzles of different difficulty levels.
  • Encourage senior residents to explore sensory boards for texture stimulation.
  • Make seniors play games that inspire friendly competition.
  • Offer brain games and workbooks. Most of the classic puzzles and games encourage problem-solving skills and this can be beneficial for seniors with cognitive decline.
  • Encourage activities that offer a mix of mental and physical stimulation, like dancing to various sounds or tossing colored objects to colored bags of the same color.

Video Therapy 

Video therapy can help engage the brains of seniors via colors, shapes, faces, and sounds. In addition, videos of familiar people and locations can help calm elderly adults suffering from dementia. This is because these videos can transport them to favorite memories and places. Some of the video therapy techniques used in memory care facilities include:

  • Screening popular classic movies.
  • Compiling home videotapes for individual residents.
  • Playing videos of events and concerts. Some historical events can stir treasured memories to the surface.
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