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Games for people who have Parkinson's Disease.

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You can also do chair exercises such as 'sit & be fit' which are just great for those who are unsteady on their feet. It's a great way to maintain muscle mass and it's fun, you can play music while exercising or listen to books on tape. Play do/modeling clay is a good medium and helps to keep the fingers flexible. A lot depends on what the person liked when they were younger and more able to participate in activities. While one doesn't want 'childish' activities, the activities must be geared to the functional level of the person. If they have cognitive decline then you would want to offer activities they can do such as: folding laundry esp. towels, washcloths and baby clothes, sorting silverware, tools or pvc pipes or having a variety of pvc pipes that can be fitted together. A game that is played in a nursing home here is Apples to Apples, it's a great thinking/word game. Reminiscing is a great activity as is looking at picture books, talking a short walk if the person is able or find some easy recipes and cook together.
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Dice rolling and Basic craps game (rolling 7's or 11's); Yahtzee/ War game with dice- whoever gets higher roll gets a point etc... game for range of motion. Aromatherapy/incense; Tasting different items- allowing person with parkinson's to make choices and distinguish which ones are his/her favorite and name if possible different flavors reinforcing what he or she remembers- only focusing on the positives not in an affected babylike tone but in a tone normally used with parent/loved one etc... Use a competitive (not mean) tone when she/he gets ahead of you in games. For example- you got me on this one, but lets see if I can score a point the next roll- Oh man you got me again, that's okay. Don't lie to the person you are playing with or treat her/him like a baby or a child- Swayn- MA
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He doesn't like games, I have tried. He is working on a book, which is good. And he is walking the dog and playing with him every day. He does fine during the day, just sundowns at night.
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Try puzzles, crossword puzzles, word find books. Another activity my husband did while in a rehab setting: Using a deck of cards, lay them out in a grid number side up. Take a second deck of cards and have the pt "match" up the cards. Then have them remove the top cards that you call.
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Have you checked with your local Council on Aging? They will often lend equipment free. I don't know about a Hoyer lift, but certainly a wheelchair, I think. Call them. The people here are very helpful.

I would ask what movies she enjoyed and then gift her with them with CDs at Christmas. So what if she watches them over and over? It will make her happy.

I was lucky that my mom didn't have dementia issues, but now my husband does, from his PD, worse with sundowning. Anyone have experience and help with that?
I am tired from being waked at 2 a.m., when he goes back to sleep in less than 5 minutes (I have timed him) and it seems to take me hours.
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My mother n law is 91, she has cancer, is blind in one eye, can barely see out of the other, almost deaf even with her hearing aids, and was diagnosed with Parkinsons . She is in a wheel chair, and can only transfer to her bed with us lifting her...they are now working on getting us a wheelchair and Hoyer through Medicare but it's not here yet. She has mild dementia and it comes and goes. One day she is fine and the next she can't remember where the bathroom is. Problems with incontinence, and chokes easily on her food so she does not want to leave the house unless it is to go to the doctors office....I have racked my brain trying to figure out what would entertain her besides tv... that she really can't see... will tell you that it was a great round of golf right after she watched a football game. A movie with any kind of plot confuses her. The only ones she seems to enjoy at all are ones that she watched 30 years ago and kind of remembers she thought it was a good movie. I'm really open to suggestions...
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Dear MaryNoreen,

Depending on the mobility of the patient, I would suggest Tai Chi. These involve simple lucid movements and you can find plenty of information on the net.

Take care and good luck...
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My mom has dementia. She loses interest in things quickly and doesn't have any interest in jigsaw puzzles or childs card games or drawing. What I did find that she likes to do for a couple hours is an App on the iPad that my husband bought me. It is called "Color By Numbers". They allow them to tap on a color and then tap on the number and the picture begins to come to life.
Recently mom has become interested in a large print book of Word Search that I bought her for her birthday. She will sit there, even on her bad days, and search for the words in the puzzle. It takes her some time but she is able to do it and feels that it is exercising her brain. I don't know how long this will occupy her but it is for now.
Jnelson, I will be interested to find out how those "Tangles" work. Might try those for mom.
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My mom has Parkinson's and she had home health care with a pt. Coming over x1 a week or so. She is at end stage Parkinson's... she wouldn't be able to dance. But yes check with their doctor also to find out what kind of exercises would be appropriate for them..
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I found some good "games" for my mother who has dementia. We did not want to give her toddlers' games or toys since she would have been insulted, so I thought about Greek "worry beads." When I looked online for these, a toy called "Tangle" turned up. There are myriads of these nice things; the medium and larger sizes might work for someone with Parkinson's. When I read the reviews I discovered that teachers use these in their classrooms for ADHD students and that adults use them to focus their restlessness while they attend to other matters. So...long story short, we presented them to my mother, who has arthritis in her hands, as an arthritis therapy tool. She really likes them. They twist, turn, and can link and unlink. For Christmas, we are giving her a couple of other similar items that popped up as we looked at Tangles on Amazon. One is the "Neutron Light Up Ball," which I may steal (jk)! There are many geometric shapes that can be manipulated into various forms. Again, adults seem to love these "toys", per the reviews, so I'll bet your father with Parkinson's would, too. Good luck!
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Music helps people with Parkinsons Disease, so any kind of music or music therapy would be helpful. I'm not much of a game player, so I don't know if there are games that involve music, other than something using a Wii. And I don't know much about that either...but I'd try to get them listening to music they enjoy on a daily basis.

Dancing is also helpful, again, the rhythm of the music helps them. You can google "music and Parkinsons" and find more info of the benefits of music for people with Parkinsons Disease.
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highly recommend lumosity. I think it depends on the stage of the disease. The games were designed by neurologists, and increase in difficulty as you improve. I do them myself, and have seen a marked improvement in my scores. They are challenging but fun.
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No, games with rules and strategies require thought processes no longer available in an Alzheimer's patient. Have a long chat with his doctor who can recommend music therapy, and other sensory stimulation that does not require complex brain activity.
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