Looking for ideas for activities other than watching tv in the winter. Things my dad can do inside the house. Any suggestions?

Thank you every one for the wonderful responses. My dad was officially diagnosed with Alzheimer's on Friday by the neurologist. We knew he had dementia but hearing the word Alzheimer's just took the air right out of my lungs.

Freqflyer - I love the idea of having him watch the squirrels on our porch. I'll pull back the curtain in the daytime so he can watch them and the doves and sparrows that visit the dish with seed we leave outside.

JoAnn - I'll have him help me fold clothes when I do the laundry. I know he likes to be helpful. He tries to wash the dishes but I always end up having to re-wash them after.

Dolly - my dad is SUPER against visiting a senior center. In his words "I don't like old people". I told him "Dad, you're 83... you ARE old people." His response was "but I'm young at heart." *shrugs*

Sunnygirl - We've started listening to Golden Oldies at breakfast to kick off our day and that has had a huge positive impact on his mood. We have gone on walks because we had some milder temps recently. NJ winters are typically super cold though so we're a bit limited at the moment. I think audio books would put him to sleep.

My dad is also in AA -- sober 41 years. As more of his friends have heard about his diagnosis and him moving in with us, they've started to reach out and take him to meetings. He's been out of the house for a couple of hours every day so far this week going to meetings which lifts his spirit and also gives me time to recharge my batteries for a bit.

dwilliams, if you live in an area where there are squirrels,and have a deck, patio or front porch, it is better than TV if you toss out peanuts in the shell, corn chips, or day old bread. If the area is south facing, then your Dad can get some sunshine. Also his cats would enjoy the "squirrel sport show".

Edit: Any old family photos? If there are photos you can't identify who are these people, maybe Dad could during times when his brain is in the here & now loop. But be ready for a history lesson regarding that photo, then write on the back the names in case later you want to do a family tree.

With Dementia not much more they can do. My Mom lost the ability to follow a book. She could read but the bookmark kept moving. She never played games so teaching her was not going to happen. You could allow him to fold towels, his clothes.

How about senior day care a few times a week? Most counties offer programs like this and they are free. Will give him new people to TT and they have many activities.

Your profile says that your father has dementia. I'm not sure how progressed it is with him, but, I will offer that this condition can render the person unable to really initiate activities, like old hobbies. Most of the time, it will require direct supervision to keep them on track with activities. Things like reading become unenjoyable for them because they have trouble processing the meaning of the words. If he is at a stage that still allows him to do word puzzles, that's great. Or what about audio books? It really depends on the level of his progression. My cousin would color, but, only if being directly supervised. After a few minutes she grew tired of it and would put it down. Listening to music is a good thing, if he enjoys that. Some people like to fold clothes, do stretching, take short walks, if mobile.

Perhaps, others here will have some suggestions. It's just that with dementia, it seems to rob the person of doing much. Eventually, my LO stopped being interested in tv, reading or even talking. Because she could no longer focus, even looking at pictures became too much for her.

I think that's why senior centers during the day can be a good thing, if the person is able to attend. They can keep the person occupied, since their memory is short and focus is poor. They are not able to do that for themselves. If he really enjoys watching tv, I'd be glad and let him enjoy it.