Safe Connections: Helping seniors with dementia maintain social interactions

Safe Connections: Helping seniors with dementia maintain social interactions

Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease harshly impact the way our senior loved ones socialize and stay connected with the world around them. However, this does not mean that the ties that bind them with everyone else has to be severed.

Watch the video below to find out more:

Helping seniors with dementia maintain warm connections with other people is one way of making sure that their brains continue to stay active. It may be quite difficult for them to carry on conversations for extended periods, like how they used to do several years in the past, but it keeps away uncomfortable thoughts and emotions that may fill their heads whenever they are left on their own.

This is especially true during these times when the world continues to be gripped by the pandemic. Face-to-face conversations have been kept to the bare minimum and inadequate social stimulation may have negative effects on helping slow down the progress of dementia among seniors.

Here’s a couple of ways to help seniors with dementia continue to interact with others and maintain warm social connections.

1) Get creative with art

We’ve recently discussed how art therapy—whether it’s through coloring, sketching, writing, or simple crafts—allow seniors to enjoy shared experiences with other people (https://geriatriccaresolution.com/adding-color-to-dementia-patients-days-with-art-therapy/).

Schedule a weekly painting session with them or their friends, invite the kids to read stories with them, or even watch craft videos on Youtube with them to get some ideas going.

2) Use technology

Social media is a very useful platform to keep connections strong despite distance and time apart.

In just a few clicks, swipes, or scrolls, seniors living here in the United States can easily get in touch with their friends and family users living or working, say, anywhere in Asia whenever they want to through chat or video calls. (link: https://geriatriccaresolution.com/how-technology-can-help-elders-cope-with-old-age/).

3) Create a new hobby

Get them planting with you in the garden and let them share ideas and stories as you go along. Spend an afternoon asking them to teach you their most beloved dinner recipe.

Should your elder loved ones need in-home care assistance, we’d love to sit down and talk to you about it. We will always be more than happy to connect with you and give your senior loved ones the kind of warmth and care that they deserve.