Activities and Games for People with Alzheimer's

If someone you love has Alzheimer’s, you have probably already noticed that some things slip away quickly while others hold on. They may lose track of this morning’s phone call but still sing every word of a hymn, fold a towel the way they always have, or deal a hand of cards without thinking. Good activities are built on those lasting skills. This page explains why, then gives ideas for each stage and the free games on this site that suit them.

Is Alzheimer’s different from dementia when it comes to activities?

Not very. Dementia is the umbrella term, and Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of it: the Alzheimer’s Association says it accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Almost everything written about activities for dementia applies to Alzheimer’s, including our 101 activity ideas.

What is useful to know is the usual order of change. The National Institute on Aging explains that Alzheimer’s first damages the parts of the brain involved in memory, and later affects language, reasoning and social behavior. The Alzheimer’s Association says the most common early symptom is difficulty remembering newly learned information. Everyone is different, and many people have mixed causes, but this pattern shapes what tends to work.

What kinds of activities suit Alzheimer’s best?

Activities that rely on old, well-practiced knowledge usually go more smoothly than ones that need something new to be learned and held in mind.

• Long-practiced skills. The Alzheimer’s Association notes that a person may still play simple songs learned on the piano years ago. Knitting, sanding wood, shuffling cards, kneading dough and folding laundry are similar.
• Old songs and familiar music. Many people still know every word of songs from their teens and twenties, hymns and the songs from their wedding. See music activities.
• Everyday jobs with a purpose. The NIA lists washing dishes, setting the table, sorting socks and folding laundry among activities people may enjoy. Feeling useful matters.
• Recognizing rather than recalling. Pointing to the matching picture is easier than naming it from memory. That is why picture games with everything in view work better than quizzes.
• The senses. Texture, scent, warmth, taste and sound stay meaningful long after words get hard. See sensory activities.

What tends to go less well: anything with a clock, new rules to learn, many steps to remember, or questions that test memory, such as “Do you remember who this is?” Those put the hard part of Alzheimer’s front and center.

Activities for early-stage Alzheimer’s

In the early stage, the Alzheimer’s Association says a person may still drive, work and take part in social activities, while noticing memory lapses such as forgetting familiar words or where things are. The best approach is partnership: ask what they want to keep doing and what help they would like.

1. Keep up existing hobbies. Golf, bridge, quilting, choir and church groups, with small adjustments such as smaller groups and quieter times.
2. Play familiar card and board games. The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America lists trivia, word finds, card games and board games for the early stage. Play as a team if keeping score starts to bother them, or drop the score entirely.
3. Cook together. Let them run a recipe they know by heart while you handle reading the steps.
4. Start a life-story project. Photos, recipes and stories in a scrapbook they direct. See reminiscence activities.
5. Go on outings. A favorite restaurant at a quiet hour, a museum for a short visit, a walk in the park.
6. Try puzzles they choose. Large-print crosswords, word searches and jigsaws. See puzzles for dementia.

More ideas: early-stage activities.

Activities for middle-stage Alzheimer’s

The Alzheimer’s Association describes the middle stage as typically the longest, and says it can last many years. Words get mixed up, frustration comes more easily, and the person needs more care. The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America adds that many people need help starting or continuing activities. Your role shifts to setting things up, showing rather than explaining, and taking over the hard parts.

1. Fold, sort and match. Towels, socks, silverware, buttons by color. Real jobs, done side by side.
2. Sing and move to music. Clap, sway or dance in the kitchen. Start singing yourself and let them join in.
3. Look through photo albums. Describe what you see and invite stories: “What a car. Tell me about it.” Go along with whatever names they use.
4. Play simple picture games. Picture pairs with four to six tiles and pictures left showing, or Find the same with two or three choices.
5. Finish familiar sayings. “An apple a day keeps the…” Sayings learned long ago often come easily. Try Finish the saying, where you can show any ending with one tap.
6. Water and tend plants. Indoor pots or a raised bed, with a small watering can.
7. Make a matching game from family photos. Photo pairs uses pictures you choose on your device, and they never leave it.

More ideas: middle-stage activities.

Activities for late-stage Alzheimer’s

In the late stage, the Alzheimer’s Association says people lose the ability to respond to their environment and to carry on a conversation, although they may still say words or phrases. Activity now means comfort and connection, brought to wherever the person is resting.

1. Play their favorite music quietly, without the TV competing.
2. Give a hand massage with a lotion that has a scent they like.
3. Offer soft things to hold: a warm blanket, a fleece, a smooth stone.
4. Read aloud psalms, poems or a familiar story. The rhythm matters more than the meaning.
5. Sit outside in the shade, or by a window with birds to watch.
6. Look at one large picture together. A sunflower or a dog filling a tablet screen, with you saying what you see.

More ideas: late-stage activities.

Which games work for someone with Alzheimer’s?

Choose games where nothing can be failed. Every game on this site is free, runs in a browser and has no timer, score or sign-up.

For how to sit together, how much to help and when to stop, read how to play games with someone who has dementia. If you are wondering about “memory games”, see memory games for seniors with dementia.

How to make any activity easier

The NIA’s advice comes down to a few habits: match the activity to what the person can do, help them get started, watch for frustration, make sure they feel successful, and let them simply watch if that is what they enjoy.

• Choose the time of day when they are at their best, and keep sessions short.
• Lay everything out first so you can begin right away.
• Invite, do not instruct. “Could you give me a hand?” works better than “Time for an activity.”
• Do the first step yourself and let them join in.
• Offer one step and one choice at a time.
• Let it be done their way. Lopsided towels are fine.
• Stop while it is still pleasant. Ending early is a good outcome, not a failure. If they refuse, see when someone with dementia says no.

The Alzheimer’s Association puts it simply: focus on enjoyment, not achievement.