Once you have been designated as caregiver for a family member, you discover the need for an arsenal of things to do with them throughout the day. Though it can be stressful to provide for someone who is experiencing a decline in mental capabilities, it is also enriching to provide for them. Here are six beneficial things you can include in the daily schedule to keep them active and aware as long as possible.
Though it is difficult to help people suffering from declines orient to the world, it can be done. Each person has his or her own level of ability. Facilitating helpful activities for people with dementia is often a matter of becoming intuitive concerning their needs, because they cannot always verbalize what they think or want.
Music listening sessions are proving to be a top choice for anyone with brain injury and decline. Recent studies conducted by a team of neurosurgeons led by Dr. Schlaug of Harvard Medical School have sought to discover why stroke patients respond to music so well. His researchers have shown that new nerve pathways inside certain areas of the brain seem to grow as a result of hearing music. This area is well developed in musicians, and is known to be a problem solving area. Early research indicates that brains may be able to solve problems related to injury by simply using different paths for nerve function.
When stronger hands and eyes are the goal, ball tossing or rolling is excellent. Patients who are mobile enough to exercise outdoors benefit greatly from doing so. The scenery change is often enough to perk up depression. Softer, smaller balls are best, and are certainly available for bedridden patients as well. Just smoothing sheets, blankets and bedspreads can create a play area for them. It is a joy that remains from childhood, which can be accessed for happier times much later in life.
To bring back happy memories of childhood while improving small motor coordination, try coloring books and crayons. Many people enjoy choosing colors and pictures, happily filling in the various shapes. It is an easy joy that allows for plenty of artistic expression without the frustration of complicated artist tools.
Anyone who can hold a camera, or a cell phone equipped with one, can enjoy an hour or so taking pictures. Looking through the lens to capture just the right image is a stimulating activity that keeps the brain working on a nice task. Encourage a loved one to take photos of everyone there. This is one of the best times for developing a family record of that individual and good times spent together.
Gardeners know the passion they feel about gardening. Sharing the work of planting seeds either outdoors or in can be a great physical and mental therapy. Digging into the soil with tools or hands builds stronger muscles and exerting this energy is calming. Getting the seeds into exactly the right depth and spacing is excellent for maintaining eye to hand coordination. Once the seeds begin to sprout and then grow into tender young plants, the results are very satisfying.
Baking cookies at home is a pastime that brings back happy thoughts of pleasant times. The process of kneading dough and shaping it into the small delicious treats is very good for the hands and arms. Having the chance to decorate the baked cookies allows for artistic expression. Eating the results is a time of sharing food, which all humans crave.
Though it is difficult to help people suffering from declines orient to the world, it can be done. Each person has his or her own level of ability. Facilitating helpful activities for people with dementia is often a matter of becoming intuitive concerning their needs, because they cannot always verbalize what they think or want.
Music listening sessions are proving to be a top choice for anyone with brain injury and decline. Recent studies conducted by a team of neurosurgeons led by Dr. Schlaug of Harvard Medical School have sought to discover why stroke patients respond to music so well. His researchers have shown that new nerve pathways inside certain areas of the brain seem to grow as a result of hearing music. This area is well developed in musicians, and is known to be a problem solving area. Early research indicates that brains may be able to solve problems related to injury by simply using different paths for nerve function.
When stronger hands and eyes are the goal, ball tossing or rolling is excellent. Patients who are mobile enough to exercise outdoors benefit greatly from doing so. The scenery change is often enough to perk up depression. Softer, smaller balls are best, and are certainly available for bedridden patients as well. Just smoothing sheets, blankets and bedspreads can create a play area for them. It is a joy that remains from childhood, which can be accessed for happier times much later in life.
To bring back happy memories of childhood while improving small motor coordination, try coloring books and crayons. Many people enjoy choosing colors and pictures, happily filling in the various shapes. It is an easy joy that allows for plenty of artistic expression without the frustration of complicated artist tools.
Anyone who can hold a camera, or a cell phone equipped with one, can enjoy an hour or so taking pictures. Looking through the lens to capture just the right image is a stimulating activity that keeps the brain working on a nice task. Encourage a loved one to take photos of everyone there. This is one of the best times for developing a family record of that individual and good times spent together.
Gardeners know the passion they feel about gardening. Sharing the work of planting seeds either outdoors or in can be a great physical and mental therapy. Digging into the soil with tools or hands builds stronger muscles and exerting this energy is calming. Getting the seeds into exactly the right depth and spacing is excellent for maintaining eye to hand coordination. Once the seeds begin to sprout and then grow into tender young plants, the results are very satisfying.
Baking cookies at home is a pastime that brings back happy thoughts of pleasant times. The process of kneading dough and shaping it into the small delicious treats is very good for the hands and arms. Having the chance to decorate the baked cookies allows for artistic expression. Eating the results is a time of sharing food, which all humans crave.
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