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We live in an assisted living facility but his Alzheimer's makes it impossible to participate in the activities here. He has aphasia so communication is difficult. Thanks for any ideas.

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If you were doing nothing, you would be bored. That's because your brain isn't broken and it craves stimulation.

Try not to overly worry about your husband not joining in. Nevertheless, don't ignore him and don't exclude him. That's as much for you as for him. Human connection, however imperfect is so important.

Mum responded best to music. She would light up when played music she'd enjoyed when younger. I have to warn you that, one time, it also had the opposite effect - Abba's Thank You For The Music resulted in tears (this was towards the end when her dementia had suddenly got worse). I felt awful for having made her sad, but it was also good to see that she could still feel and could be comforted by me.
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Reply to MiaMoor
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I usually play some music while I visit my father. I've been playing a lot of opera lately because he always liked it. .He doesn't respond, so I can't really tell if he's enjoying it or not, but at least it is something. I also show him old pictures and some times he will smile at a memory. He also looks forward to the jelly donut I bring him each time I visit.

I've told the social director that he should be always be brought to any of the shows that the NH puts together for some stimulation. There's usually something each week.

I don't think my father is bored. It seems he really doesn't care anymore about anything. But I still try to connect.
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Reply to Hothouseflower
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A fidget blanket may help him pass the time. Getting a basket of washcloths to fold, and refold later, helped my relative. Could he hear with headphones on and turned up? If so, recorded short books may be a possibility
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Reply to Daughterof1930
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Females will sometimes adopt a doll as a companion. I wonder how your husband would react to some kind of realistic soft stuffed animal or fuzzy robot dog.
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Reply to jwellsy
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My husband has the same issues and is in memory care. He doesn't talk intelligibly. His hearing aids broke, were irreplaceable, and over time, he invented a sort of sign language. His friends at memory care have picked it up, and they communicate that way. Because he can't respond to hearing tests, I contacted the Sertoma Club. They collect used hearing aids, and they found some similar to his old ones. His communications skills improved, and now he can better respond to caregivers, his friends and visitors. He even initiates communication with frequent visitors of his friends there.

It's important to talk and interact with him a lot, just like with a baby, so he'll want to talk back, even though others can't understand what he says. Often DH's tone of voice communicates his thoughts, such as raising his tone at the end of a sentence as he would when asking a question. Or an imperative order accompanied by a gesture, such as telling me to pull up a chair to his and sit down - all silent language letting me know that he wants to visit and "talk."

Get your husband's hearing corrected any way you can, even though he no longer talks understandably. Keep him around people though he cannot participate in most activities. There are some he can do - outside blowing bubbles, perhaps batting balloons around, anything to keep him engaged and around others who communicate.

I wish you luck. There are no easy answers, and sometimes there are no answers at all, but this is working for us.
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Reply to Fawnby
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How his behaviour? How is he acting and why do you think he is bored if he has no memory? If he won't even watch tv, how do you know he has not just tuned out the world? How about playdoh?
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Reply to ShirleyDot
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