You can trigger memories and emotions and stimulate the senses in seniors with dementia by using everyday objects and activities. Regular sensory stimulation can prevent depression, confusion, and agitation among seniors with dementia or other forms of cognitive decline. As a family caregiver, here are some of the ways you can provide sensory stimulation for your senior loved one if he or she has dementia.
Send Flowers
Flowers not only stimulate the sense of smell, but they can also boost mood. Purchase scented flowers and place them in your loved one’s bedroom or other areas of the home where he or she spends the most time. Pleasant smells and scents can spark good memories in seniors with dementia.
The most common flowers that provide sensory stimulation for seniors include:
- Lilies
- Violets
- Jasmines
- Wisteria
- Wild roses
Apart from regular sensory stimulation, seniors with dementia may need assistance with daily activities. Aging adults who require assistance with the tasks of daily living can benefit from reliable elderly care. Tucson, AZ, families trust in Home Care Assistance to provide the high-quality care their elderly loved ones need and deserve. Our caregivers are trained to help seniors prevent and manage serious illnesses and encourage them to make healthier decisions as they age.
Play Music
Sounds help seniors with dementia stimulate their hearing senses. When your loved one hears his or her favorite songs, they may stimulate old memories from the past. Make sure the music is not too loud, as it could agitate your loved one and disrupt his or her mood. Listening to music can also help your loved one manage stress and boost his or her energy levels.
Create Food Quizzes
Cook some of your loved one’s favorite recipes, or try out new ideas. It is best if the foods have different tastes, such as sweet, sour, and bitter. Instead of making your loved one guess what you have cooked, ask what his or her favorite sweet, sour, and bitter foods are. Creating food quizzes can stimulate your loved one’s senses and encourage him or her to think about the foods he or she enjoyed as a child.
Take a Trip to a Botanical Garden
Taking your loved one outside of the house can provide the sensory stimulation he or she needs. Visiting a botanical garden can stimulate various senses at the same time, including the sense of sight. The sight and smell of the flowers can reduce anxiety in seniors with dementia and bring enjoyment to their lives.
Family caregivers may not always have time to take their senior loved ones on outings or provide regular assistance at home. If your aging loved one needs occasional help with bathing, grooming, cooking, or other basic household tasks, or if you need time to attend to important personal matters, reach out to Home Care Assistance, a leading provider of live-in and respite care. Tucson seniors can maintain their independence while living at home with the help of our reliable respite caregivers.
Have a Beauty Therapy Day
Touching can be a powerful form of therapy for seniors with dementia, regardless if it is a small hug, a gentle massage, or simply holding hands. The sense of touch is important because it can calm and soothe seniors with dementia. To stimulate your loved one’s sense of touch, hold beauty therapy days where you and your loved one can pamper yourselves by doing your nails or applying facial masks. Stimulating the sense of touch could remind your loved one of simpler and happier times.
Dementia is one of the many age-related health conditions your loved one may be susceptible to. Aging in place can present a few unique challenges for older adults. Some only require part-time assistance with exercise or meal preparation, while others are living with serious illnesses and benefit more significantly from receiving live-in home care. Tucson, AZ, Home Care Assistance are leaders in the elderly in-home care industry for good reason. We tailor our care plans based on each senior’s individual needs, our caregivers continue to receive updated training in senior care as new developments arise, and we also offer comprehensive care for seniors with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and Parkinson’s. To learn about our revolutionary home care methods, give us a call at (520) 276-6555 today.