If you are moving your loved one to a Highland Park, IL, memory care community, you want to find one that prioritizes interactive activities. A big part of memory care is providing residents with engaging activities that help to slow the progression of memory-related disease. This has been shown to be very important for those with Alzheimer’s or early-stage dementia as it also helps to improve their quality of life.
So, if you want to find an engaging and active memory care community in Highland Park, keep reading.
1. Magic Table
Many memory care communities are now using special technology designed for residents with memory conditions. One example of this is a game called Magic Table, which is an interactive console game that can be played on a table or floor.
This game helps to engage residents, stimulating and improving their quality of life in a fun and interactive way. Many memory care residents could benefit from this, but it is specially designed for those with dementia.
It is suitable for those in various stages of dementia and helps with cognitive, sensory, and physical abilities by stimulating movement and social interaction. Other residents, as well as loved ones and caregivers, can all interact with the game to make it more enjoyable. It’s especially beneficial for those who deal with restless or tense behaviors.
Magic Table is just one example of an interactive game that memory care communities can use for their residents. They may also use other games to help keep residents engaged, such as puzzles, card games, and board games.
2. Wellness Exercises
Another important activity a Highland Park, IL, memory care community should provide is wellness exercises. These are wellness-focused programs that take each individual‘s needs into account.
Wellness exercise programs are beneficial for the physical and mental health of memory care residents, helping them to stay active and fulfilled. These programs are also very gentle and cater to residents of all physical abilities.
Encouraging residents to stay active improves their physical and mental well-being and helps the caregivers better understand each individual‘s needs.
3. Sensory Groups
Many people with Alzheimer’s or dementia could benefit from sensory activities. These are activities that stimulate the mind and other senses, which is incredibly important for those with memory loss.
The good thing about sensory activities is that many different things can fall into this category. For instance, board games and puzzles are also a kind of sensory activity that involves thinking and moving items around. Other types of sensory activities could include arranging flowers, baking, knitting, or fidgeting with items like zippers, toys, pebbles, or stress balls.
4. Arts and Crafts
Keeping Alzheimer’s and dementia patients entertained is not very difficult since there are plenty of easy yet entertaining options. A few great options include arts and crafts projects that stimulate the mind and keep the hands busy.
Popular options for those in memory care communities include coloring books or painting projects. Residents may also benefit from making crafts like memory boxes, collages, paper flowers, or painting rocks.
5. Group Trips
A very important aspect of memory care for those with Alzheimer’s and dementia is providing them with a high quality of life. Part of doing this includes taking residents out of their normal surroundings to experience different places and activities.
You want to choose a community that has trips that allow residents to explore other aspects of the community as well as local attractions. They may have group trips to museums, outdoor spaces, concerts, etc.
These trips allow residents to have a higher quality of life while still receiving 24/7 care and supervision.
6. Outdoor Activities
Spending time outdoors is incredibly therapeutic and stimulates many senses for those in memory care communities. There is an endless amount of entertainment outdoors as well as plenty of visual stimulation.
Memory care communities should have various outdoor areas that are safe for the residents, such as spaces like golf courses, tennis courses, parks, and gardens.
Outdoor space provides the perfect versatility when it comes to residents at different stages of memory loss. Those who are more active can engage in more entertaining outdoor activities, while others can simply walk around with the assistance of a caregiver or sit in an outdoor space.
7. Practical Therapy
Many activities in memory care communities may not seem like traditional forms of entertainment. For those with Alzheimer’s or dementia, as the disease progresses, maintaining certain physical and mental abilities becomes the goal. That is why some practical therapy activities are perfect for helping to slow the progression of memory diseases.
Examples of practical therapy include folding laundry, tying and untying knots, washing dishes, and so on. These are examples of activities that help to create brain stimulation and encourage motor skills even for residents who are unable to participate in other activities.
Why Are Activities Important For Those in Memory Care
Providing residents with activities is one of the main jobs of a memory care community. Having plenty of things to do improves the experience of the residents and creates a better community where everyone feels included. But activities play a more vital role as well, especially for those who have progressing Alzheimer’s or dementia.
Activities help to stimulate, engage, and de-stress residents who are suffering from extensive memory loss. Different activities put their brains to work, improving their senses and stimulating their motor skills.
Keeping residents active also improves their mental health as it gives them purpose each day. Having interactive groups and activities planned encourages residents to interact with people every day and maintain connections.
Recreation in Retirement
Even if your loved one has Alzheimer’s or dementia, that doesn’t mean that they can no longer enjoy life. When they become part of a Highland Park, IL, memory care community, they have access to a variety of activities to keep them engaged and happy.
Helping residents stay active helps with mental and physical health as well as slowing the progression of memory-related diseases. It gives them a purpose and something to look forward to, creating a more interactive community between the residents and the caregivers.
At Arbor Terrace Highland Park, we have extensive resources and activities we use to help our residents who are battling memory loss. Take a look at our guide on recreation and retirement to better understand why activity is so important.
