Staying Active  
                                        with dementia

       26 piece Winter puzzle      Chat Cards-Baby     12 piece Flower puzzle     American Folk Art Designs color book 

MindStart - Puzzles, Games,and More for Persons with Memory Loss  

 

Products, Tips, and Ideas to Help on the Care Journey   November 2012

 

In This Issue
Dementia Care Tips
Doing Things Together
Gifts for the Holidays

How Does Dementia Affect Daily Tasks?

 

MindStart owner Monica Heltemes appeared on Alzheimer's Speaks Radio, hosted by Alzheimer's advocate,  Lori La Bey.  She shared why the person with dementia can have difficult with everyday tasks, such as making toast.  She also shared easy ways to keep the person with dementia "doing things".  

 

Listen Now

 

Rainbow Bingo winner!  

 New Product!  

 

Chat Cards-Baby 
 
There are many people with dementia that respond to babies and the memories and emotions that they invoke. These flip cards show babies eating, crawling, bathing, and more.  Cards are made to be handled - they cannot be bent and can be wiped off.  Great for a person to look at alone, with a friend or family member, or with a companion helper.  
Chat Cards-Baby 
 
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November is National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness month.  Every 70 seconds someone in America develops Alzheimer's disease.    Raising awareness about symptoms,approaches, and resources is so critically needed.  Consider sharing this newsletter with your friends, neighbors, church, book clubs, etc.  You never know who is being touched by this disease.


Dementia Care Tips:
If the Person with Dementia Could Clearly State It, What Do You Think They Would be Thankful For?
 
Dementia Care to be Thankful For 
Dementia Care to be Thankful For

Doing Things Together: Joyful Moments Together 

 

One great way to keep the person with dementia active, is to incorporate them into the interests and hobbies YOU may have. These ideas are listed from more to less complex.    

  • Books - Read highlights of the news together; read one page stories or poems together; look at a picture book together; read aloud short poems or famous quotes  
  • Music - Make music together with instruments.  This can be voice, piano, maraccas, tambourines.  Put on music you enjoyed listening together.  Music can reach the person even at late stages of the disease.
  • Baking - The person helps measure ingredients; the person mixes or rolls dough; the person smells and tastes the wonderful result.
  • Sports - Visit a children's game of the sport, which would be less over-stimulating and crowded than a professional sports game; play catch with a ball; roll and feel the ball.
  • Photography - With digital cameras, you have instant results.  Take the photos and download right after for the person to see yours or their shots; or look at photos together of important life events.   

With some pre-planning and thought, you may find ways to enjoy your hobbies, albeit in a slightly different way, with the person you care for.    

MindStart Offers Perfect Gifts for the Holidays

Betty's husband. Jim, was no longer able to do the puzzles he enjoyed.  She ordered some 26 piece MindStart puzzles and reported,
 "My husband, Jim, immediately dumped out the pieces for the Fall puzzle, and was delighted to put it together in just a few minutes! Thank you for a few minutes of success...and this success will probably be repeated over and over with pleasure every time."
See How They Work
See How They Work

 Until next month...
Monica Heltemes, OTR/L
MindStart