This paper clip fishing game can be fun.
Scatter paper clips on a table and have your loved one pick them up and put them back into a container.
Can You Fix It? is an activity in which you ask your care recipient for some help repairing or restoring an item. The item could need to be reassembled or simply need batteries, but the focus is on asking the care recipient for help. You set a person up for success with this activity by knowing about their current abilities with regards to vision, dexterity and the ability to manipulate or manage tools.
Something that needs to be "fixed."
Ask your loved one if they can fix an item for you. Some individuals may need step by step directions or pictures to demonstrate the process. Be sure to make any necessary accommodations to the project so that they can participate on a level that matches their capacity.
Many people grew up learning different skills using their hands. Skills could include woodworking, carpentry, crocheting, knitting, model building, and even daily chores. Manipulating every day objects like opening a door with a key takes them back to a more independent time.
Hardware, Locks, or other objects that can be disassembled and reassembled fairly easily.
If your care recipient appears restless, agitated or idle for long periods of time, try providing him or her with familiar hardware or objects that they can hold in their hands and manipulate. If you don't already have some supplies at home you can go to the local hardware store and pick up a variety of useful objects. The objective is to choose pieces that can be disassembled and reassembled fairly easily. Locks or PVC piping or another material that they worked with in their youth could work.
"Spa Time" is a great way to help your loved one relax, and spend some quality time with you.
Pick and choose your spa supplies based on your choice of spa activities.
Some ideas for "Spa Time" may include playing calming music and having some relaxing lighting (battery operated candles are inexpensive and safe.) Aromatherapy can also provide a tranquil sensory experience, lavender: rose, lemon and vanilla are popular scents. Arm, hand and scalp massages are excellent as well. Another popular idea is a foot soak in warm, scented water, followed by a gentle foot massage.
This practice helps you focus on where you would like to be, and removes you from your daily stresses.
Find a quiet and relaxing space, and sit in a comfortable position. Start by focusing on your breath; breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Clear your mind, and visualize a safe and calming scene. For instance, you can envision a place where you can relax and be at peace, or you can envision yourself acheiving something that you have been wanting to do.
This is a conversation game where you talk about two different options and why you would prefer one over the other.
Ask Questions Like:
Magazines and books are a great outside source of entertainment.
A book, magazine, or audiobook.
Either read a book or magazine aloud to your loved one, or let them flip through one on their own. If your loved one doesn't mind headphones, an audiobook, either on a smartphone or tablet, might be perfect. You can get audiobooks free from your local library or from Audible by Amazon when you purchase an Audible Membership.
Poems are a great way to engage your loved one and may help them remember stories and tales from when they were younger.
A poem or a book of poems.
Examples include:
With prompting, your loved one might remember a poem from long ago, or may simply enjoy hearing you recite to them.
If you are feeling particularly creative, can also recite a poem pretending you are a diffent person or using a different accent. Some people may know some poems or rhymes off the top of their heads. Others may need some resources. Ask your local librarian for assistance if you are having trouble finding a poem to share. Some suggestions include a Dr. Seuss book that they read to a child, "The Night Before Christmas," or a traditional poem that rhymes. A good example is this poem by Eugene Field:
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night
Sailed off in a wooden shoe —
Sailed on a river of crystal light,
Into a sea of dew.
"Where are you going, and what do you wish?
The old moon asked the three.
"We have come to fish for the herring fish
That live in this beautiful sea;
Nets of silver and gold have we!
Said Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.
The old moon laughed and sang a song,
As they rocked in the wooden shoe,
And the wind that sped them all night long
Ruffled the waves of dew.
The little stars were the herring fish
That lived in that beautiful sea —
"Now cast your nets wherever you wish —
Never afraid are we
So cried the stars to the fishermen three:
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.
All night long their nets they threw
To the stars in the twinkling foam —
Then down from the skies came the wooden shoe,
Bringing the fishermen home;
'Twas all so pretty a sail
it seemed
As if it could not be,
And some folks thought 'twas a dream they'd dreamed
Of sailing that beautiful sea —
But I shall name you the fishermen three:
Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes,
And Nod is a little head,
And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies
Is a wee one's trundle-bed.
So shut your eyes while mother sings
Of wonderful sights that be,\nAnd you shall see the beautiful things
As you rock in the misty sea,
Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three:
Building and construction is an activity that most men have experience with. You can be creative with the track you create and where it would be best used. You can even create surrounding scenery with your loved one. Trains often provide a sense of nostalgia for those who may have used them as a young child. This is also an activity that engineers or mechanics may particularly enjoy.
If you are caring for someone who is a fishing enthusiast, setting up a tackle box can be a meaningful and fun activity. Depending on a person's stage of the illness it may be best not to include hooks or sharp objects in the box. However, plenty can still be done with colorful lures (hooks removed), bobbers, rubber fish, fishing line and sinkers.
Tackle Box or 2 Tray Tackle Box
Fishing Lures
Have your loved one organize the box by putting each item in separate compartments. Talk about the different types of fishing and what fish are found during what season and in what regions.