Recent News - Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America

06 May 2006

Ideas for your next visit with your loved one in health care or memory support

Sometimes it’s a challenge to know what to do or what to say when visiting your loved one. We would like to offer a few suggestions. A publication from the Alzheimer’s Association gives “101 Things to Do” while visiting an older adult.

Here are the first ten ideas:

Play cards or board games together – lifelong favorites, or learn a new game together.
Keep a running tally of scores of the games played in your own tournament.
Do crossword puzzles together – or on your own to see who can finish first.
Do jigsaw puzzles together.
Watch television together and talk about the programs you’ve seen.
Keep up on the soap operas that your loved one watches.
Rent a video of an old favorite movie or musical to bring along.
Go shopping from catalogues for clothes, household or frivolous necessities.
Go “window shopping” in fancy catalogs filled with things you would never buy.
Bring a favorite recipe book to explore or to plan a meal together.

We hope this list of things to do during your visit with your loved one are helpful. Here are the next ten ideas suggested by the Alzheimer’s Association:

Talk about what you both have been up to since your last visit.
Bring photos of family and friends from days gone by or recent snapshots.
Create a photo album, framed photograph collection or poster to hang.
Make a special scrapbook celebrating his or her life.
Write or tape your older adult’s biography, [then] give copies to the family.
Share your own favorite stories and memories.
Bring vacation photos, souvenirs, postcards, maps and tales of your travels.
Read newspapers and magazines aloud to keep your older adult “in touch.”
Look at magazines that have a lot of large colorful pictures.
Subscribe to your older adult’s hometown newspaper and bring it along.

Here are the next ten ideas listed by the Alzheimer’ s Association:

Bring a musical instrument to play for your loved one’ s private concert.
Teach your loved one to play an instrument … or learn together.
Sing, hum or whistle together.
Play “Name That Tune” with records, tapes or music on the radio.
Listen to music.
Play charades.
Wind yarn for a knitting project.
Work on a craft together.
Try a new artistic pastime together, such as drawing, painting or sculpture.
Make simple gifts for your loved one’ s grandchildren.

Here are ten more ideas listed by the Alzheimer’s Association of things to do when visiting an older adult:

Bring along your sewing basket, button box, or tool kit to organize together.

Build a bird feeder, or house, to hand outside your loved one’s window.

Bring along a bird book and see how many different types of birds drop by (or are in our aviaries).

Get out the mending to do while you visit.

Brush, comb, or style your loved one’s hair.

Pamper your loved one with make up, perfume, aftershave, or manicure.

Ask for help in planning your garden and look through a seed catalogue.

Create a terrarium to enjoy with very little care needed.

Plant or take care of potted plants, or indoor window sill garden in the loved one’s room.

Play word and trivia games to keep your loved one’s mind alert.

Other suggestions from the Alzheimer’s Association will be included in future issues of the “Way to Live.”

About Us | Communities | Giving | Site Map