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Showing posts from April, 2023

Productive Activities around the House

Your loved one might get some satisfaction from helping out around the house. Here are some chores that my mother has been able to do, even with diminished capability: Folding laundry Putting silverware away Pushing the dust mop around the house Weeding in the yard The job doesn't always get done right, but it's still useful to have her engaged in a task.  Towels are the easiest type of laundry for my mother to fold. When it's a mixed batch of items, she gets more confused. She will often sort things by color rather than type. But it doesn't matter that much; I can come along and sort it out later.  With silverware, I need to make sure her hands are clean first. Big and small forks usually end up mixed together, but it's not a big problem. With dust mopping, the pile of dust and the mop might end up in a strange place.  Weeding used to be such a good way to spend time together outside, but lately Mom loses the plot. She's more interesting in wandering around pic

Jigsaw Puzzles and other activities

We love jigsaw puzzles. As my mother's abilities have declined, I have replaced the more complicated puzzles with ever simpler ones: 500-piece, down to 300, 100, and even less.  These puzzles keep Mom focused and busy. That means she stays out of the way when I'm cooking. And if I want to sit down to read for a while, I can keep her happy with a puzzle. I order them from Puzzle Warehouse . These are a few of the brands/styles that work best for us.  Cobble Hill "tray" puzzles : The border is already done and the finished picture is printed in black and white to help with placement of pieces. 35 pieces. These are our favorite right now. Mind Start puzzles : Designed especially for dementia patients, featuring age-appropriate themes and large puzzles pieces. Either 63 or 24 pieces.  Springbok 36 Piece Alzheimer's Jigsaw Puzzles  : Beautiful images with super large puzzle pieces.  Children's puzzles can also work if they have these features: small number of piec