Mother is 94. We work crosswords, together. I give her the clue and she tells me the answer. We listen to her old music. I can bring it up on my laptop. And I ask her about the family tree. (We just do the same things over and over.) You could go through old pictures together and make certain the names are written on the back of them.
Chicago has said it in a nutshell. . Do the things she used to enjoy. she might enjoy books on tape if it's too tiring to read. have her share her knowledge of practical ways of doing things. if she used to knit get her some big needles and a ball of thick cotton and have her knit dishcloths for all the family for Christmas. Have her tell the family history and really listen. don't take notes just record it all. No she does not know what she wants to do because she has forgotten. So keep it simple and short. She will easily tire and be ready for a nap.
I have bought small painting kits (paint by number) and other easy projects that are made for young children, for my mother. Perhaps also planting a few herbs, and/or other small plants in the windowsill would be of interest. It's always nice to watch the progress of plants growing.
Some of what they like to do or what you can get them to do with you is going to be based to a large degree on what they CAN do.
My mom was 94 when she passed just this last January. She had developed some heart problems the previous July, so we didn't go out very often. Prior do that, we had taken her out for short car rides to do store errands (our daytime helper would do the shopping, my mom and I would stay in the car) but we had to get home pretty soon because she also needed to use the bathroom and one of her fetishes was to use the one only at home. Anyway, when we went out, she looks forward to fast food and I was able to get her healthy choices like fish items, chicken burgers and burritos, all her favorites.
Even though at home, I cooked all the time having her favorite dish is always ready for her. But as her teeth changed, food became more challenging. She didn't like the new stuff as much, too much of a change, so what we did was find ways to bring fast food into the home that she liked. Our helper picked up meals 2 or 3 times a week, softer foods, easier to chew, but still flavors she liked.
She like to watch westerns on TV but became confused by the commercials about how that fit into the story, so watching was limited. She used to like listening to the radio, but no more. What she did like, and we often did for 2 or more hours at a time (an eternity to a dementia patient) watch when I played my auto harp and she could sing along too old songs she remembered.
You have to keep being creative and inventive, but try to stick to the really old stuff but she has a better chance of recollecting. As mentioned above, old photos are a godsend that can take up quite a bit of your time getting her to remember old people in her life.
My mom is 93 and has no short-term memory to speak of, but she doesn't have dementia. She reads two papers each day and works the crossword puzzle in the paper. She also has a ton of Word Find books and enjoys doing those. She watches some TV and reads voraciously. I don't think she remembers half of what she reads, but that's OK, it helps her pass the time and as she says, "Takes her to different places." I also try to have a small potted flower that she can tend to, since she used to have beautiful flower beds before she moved to Independent Living. She also writes friends occasionally. Maybe you could help her by writing cards or letters to loved ones. I also take my mom out to the farmer's market to the Dollar Store - just to get her out and to change up the scenery. We go to restaurants when she's feeling good. I like to take her to sit and watch kids playing at the playground, since she enjoys little children.
is going to be based to a large degree on what they CAN do.
My mom was 94 when she passed just this last January. She had developed some heart problems the previous July, so we didn't go out very often. Prior do that, we had taken her out for short car rides to do store errands (our daytime helper would do the shopping, my mom and I would stay in the car) but we had to get home pretty soon because she also needed to use the bathroom and one of her fetishes was to use the one only at home. Anyway, when we went out, she looks forward to fast food and I was able to get her healthy choices like fish items, chicken burgers and burritos, all her favorites.
Even though at home, I cooked all the time having her favorite dish is always ready for her. But as her teeth changed, food became more challenging. She didn't like the new stuff as much, too much of a change, so what we did was find ways to bring fast food into the home that she liked. Our helper picked up meals 2 or 3 times a week, softer foods, easier to chew, but still flavors she liked.
She like to watch westerns on TV but became confused by the commercials about how that fit into the story, so watching was limited. She used to like listening to the radio, but no more. What she did like, and we often did for 2 or more hours at a time (an eternity to a dementia patient) watch when I played my auto harp and she could sing along too old songs she remembered.
You have to keep being creative and inventive, but try to stick to the really old stuff but she has a better chance of recollecting. As mentioned above, old photos are a godsend that can take up quite a bit of your time getting her to remember old people in her life.