Easy Crafts for DementiaEasy Crafts for Dementia PatientsIt is often hard to come up with various crafts to offer seniors or those in a senior care facility, especially when you want to provide them with entertaining, but simplified crafts to accommodate any skill or age level. If you should have dementia patients in your facility, the crafts you choose should be entertaining and somewhat challenging, but not so much so that it could cause frustration to seniors who require more attention and care. Each dementia patient has different needs, and the crafts you choose should accommodate his or her needs and interests.When dealing with patients who suffer from dementia, it is very important to give them space while they work on crafts, as no one wants to be treated like a child – especially an older adult. Offer help when asked, but allow them to exercise their creativity to create personalized crafts. Crafts for dementia patients should be simple and only feature a few materials, in order not overwhelm a senior as he sits down to relax and engage in a creative experience. Just as we have our good and bad days, patients with dementia will have theirs. Be patient, and remember that even if a particular craft does not go so well on one day does not mean you cannot give it another try some other time. Crafting days or hours do not have to take place solely in a care facility, but may be utilized at home as you take care of Mom or Dad or even provided to seniors by his or her caretaker. Crafting allows each person to enjoy a few hours of creativity and relaxation.Here are a few ideas for easy crafts that you may implement during your next craft day: Play dough: People of any age love to get their hands into a clump of play dough, whether you buy the pre made products at the store or create your own version with a basic recipe consisting of flour and water. Add a few drops of food coloring to homemade dough, and allow seniors to create what they want. Working with dough is also an ideal way to allow seniors to exercise and stretch hands in a gentle manner. Sorting Buttons: If you have ever sat down with a large jar of buttons, you know you could spend hours sorting through the various colors, shapes and sizes. Offer a group of seniors a large jar or bucket of buttons (or anything else you think might be fun to sort) and ask them to sort by color or size. This will engage their mind and allow them to be social and work together. Scrapbooking: If you have many old magazines lying around, use them during a craft session. Place a stack of magazines onto the table with seniors grouped around and instruct them to find a variety of pictures to create a personalized page for a scrapbook or small posterboard. You can even give them a theme to work with, such as ‘things to do on summer day ’, ‘furniture you would find in a house or ‘animals that are found in a barn’. Then, seniors will hunt through the pages looking for objects that complete the theme. Art: Allow seniors to create colorful works of art with simple crafting materials, such as paper and watercolor paints. Water coloring can be done anywhere, so it is a perfect way to get seniors outside on a beautiful day. Since art is personal, seniors can take the time they need to create a piece they are happy with when it is completed.When thinking of easy crafts to introduce to dementia patients, just remember to keep it fun and simple so that seniors may enjoy themselves. Easy crafts can be done throughout the year, with special themed-crafts taking place around the holidays. For holidays, have seniors create festive decorations to use throughout the home or care facility to enhance their surroundings and give them something to look forward to. Easy Crafts to Elderly Activities - Games and Crafts
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