Do you have a loved one who is living with dementia? Here’s an idea I learned from my daughter-in-law Jeri, whose mother Kathy has Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia.

Jeri set out a container of buttons and an empty muffin tin on the counter and told Kathy, “Mom I need help sorting these buttons by color.” Then, Jeri and Kathy worked together to sort the buttons. Jeri says her mom loves to be helpful and having a purpose gives Kathy great satisfaction. It also maintains her dignity, which is so important.

 Jeri says that as she works with her mom, she knows that the tasks may not be done “perfectly” but that’s OK. There really is no right or wrong way to sort buttons so it’s a perfect activity for someone who may tend to get agitated with setbacks.  

Also, Kathy’s dementia journey is at the stage where she’s having trouble with words. Kathy likes to keep up a conversation with Jeri and sometimes her words aren’t in context or don’t make sense. Jeri says that she listens carefully and can often interpret her mother’s meaning. And for those times when Jeri can’t understand, she keeps the conversation moving by saying, “Wow!” or “Hmmm” or “That’s so interesting.” Jeri says by doing this, the conversation continues and allows her mom to continue to use her words, which is important.

It’s such a loving way for mother and daughter to spend time together, and I thought I’d pass this along to those who might be looking for activities to do with friends or family members who have memory loss.

Image credit: Pixabay