Something for Grandad to do with his hands

[P&B's]

Does anyone have any good tips for keeping someone with dementia, and who just keeps fiddling with things and wondering about, occupied?

Perhaps something Grandad could just sit down with and fiddle about with? Might do a box of photos, but I'm not sure how long this would sustain his interest for.

Thanks x

 

[Saffie]

I don't really know if this is going to help, but I'm taking in a box of my husband's badges etc. He is bed/chair bound and I thought he might enjoy looking through all his old sports, school, college, forces etc. etc badges and tie tacks. Even if it's just something to fiddle with as he probably won't be able to remeber the connections - but there is always the offchance that something might click on a good day.

 

[holiday]

Dementia patents do fiddle at times, another good idea might be a box of all different materials with buttons lace on etc all different to touch and feel. Any form of stimulation no matter for how little can only be good thing xx

 

[choccy]

My Dad loves rumaging through boxes and such. I've also been looking at this site, some good products on it. http://www.best-alzheimers-products.com

 

[bunnies]

I found that something that resembles something the person used to do earlier in life worked the best. Give him the 'tools' that he used to use in some way, provided they are safe ones. It can be a small thing and only vaguely resembling the earlier activity and it can still work,

 

[FifiMo]

I saw a great idea for a man who likes fiddling and it was a wooden stand with a number of different locks on it and a box at the bottom for holding various keys for opening the locks. It was far more suitable and probably appropriate for a man than some of the more feminine ideas which might not hold interest for very long.

Perhaps something like this would be suitable?

Fiona

 

[milly123]

try lego blocks used to work for short spells with my husband milly

 

[knoxy07]

hi try colouring books and news papers, i do this with my gran as she fiddles and
starts wripping her clothes and the chair shes sitting on, or maybe picture books x

Does anyone have any good tips for keeping someone with dementia, and who just keeps fiddling with things and wondering about, occupied?

Perhaps something Grandad could just sit down with and fiddle about with? Might do a box of photos, but I'm not sure how long this would sustain his interest for.

Thanks x

 

[CraigC]

Hi P&Bs,

Make sure you check out this thread, loads of great ideas for your grandad.

Help with activities

I've seen residents at dads home find all sorts of things to comfort themselves and it seems to depend on background / history. Anything from dolls, soft toys, soft toy animals and a gentleman who gets a lot of comfort from clutching a small skittle much of the day. A bit of trial and error but hope you find something comforting.

Kind Regards
Craig

 

[marisarose]

With my dear Mum, she would be undressing the whole time - as soon as you put her hands down and pulled her top down she would do it again and again, eventually she would be sitting in her chair with no clothes on when I got to the nursing home - awful awful awful (the carers said 'she's probably hot!!!). I found that because of her short term memory whatever you gave her she would just shove to one side - even looking at photos she would just look away after a couple of seconds. Everyone is different, Mum had vascular dementia/alzheimers and would continually be calling 'help help' which was just heartbreaking, the doc said 'it doesn't mean she is distressed!!!!'. oh dearie me - I would just try lots of different things to fiddle with and see which one works! Hope you are successful, all the best.

 

[danny]

Hi, check this web site. Quite alot of ideas. Good luck.


http://activitiestoshare.co.uk/Mensactivities.aspx

 

[creativesarah]

An idea I had the other day for men

we had a workman here the other day and he said he finds it relaxing to sand wood I did think that sounded a good idea for men, he sat for his whole lunch hour lovingly bringing the grain out of a bit of wood
He said you need hardwood as it has good grain he has done some pieces that look like pebbles but at the moment he is doing a chain link made out of one piece of wood
If you want more info I'll ask him (His mother had Alz so he was keen to help) I could make a little video if that would help

 

[pac1]

My dad used to pull all the tissues out of the box and place them neatly on the table, some folded, some not. He would be quite happy doing this. We bought him toy cars, that he would get out of the box and put back in over and over again. We would get the photo albums out and sit with him looking through them, he could'nt talk but we would look for signs of him recognising people. A lot of his behaviour was very childlike and very frustrating most of the time, but if he was'nt in any danger of harming himself or anyone else we let him do it. Stimulating him was difficult but had a positive effect on him.
Take care of yourself.

 

[sarafina]

Something to do for Grandad

I bought a memory box for my 89 year old dementing Mum and filled it with old piccys, ribbons, bobbins , etc. It does the job for maybe 15 minutes at a time.. respite for your self ..I also put sweets in there and the box has GRANS MEMORY box written on it, so she knows it's hers { not always}
This is the link and the choice of boxes they have http://www.temptationgifts.com/acatalog/East_of_India_Wooden_Boxes.html

Does anyone have any good tips for keeping someone with dementia, and who just keeps fiddling with things and wondering about, occupied?

Perhaps something Grandad could just sit down with and fiddle about with? Might do a box of photos, but I'm not sure how long this would sustain his interest for.

Thanks x

 

[sarafina]

Something to do for Grandad

I bought a memory box for my 89 year old dementing Mum and filled it with old piccys, ribbons, bobbins , etc. It does the job for maybe 15 minutes at a time.. respite for your self ..I also put sweets in there and the box has GRANS MEMORY box written on it, so she knows it's hers { not always}
This is the link and the choice of boxes they have
http://www.temptationgifts.com/acatalog/East_of_India_Wooden_Boxes.html

 

[gill dix]

keeping hands busy twiddle muffs

http://activitiestoshare.co.uk/TwiddleMuffactivityforpeoplewithaDementialikeAlzheimers.aspx


Clink on the link or put Twiddle muffs in your search engine. They are great.

 

[Jancis]

My Dad loves rumaging through boxes and such. I've also been looking at this site, some good products on it. http://www.best-alzheimers-products.com

Just been looking at the link Choccy and there are some interesting products on this

 

[Jancis]

My Dad loves rumaging through boxes and such. I've also been looking at this site, some good products on it. http://www.best-alzheimers-products.com

Thanks for this link Choccy, there are some interesting products on this US website. Going off on a tangent slightly, what do TP members think about the Respite Videos on offer here? I wondered if we had an English equivalent? http://tinyurl.com/6be52hg

 

[Just thinking]

Mum loves to have her handbag near to hand. I fill it with all sorts of things for her to 'find' - powder puff, compact, comb, hankie, unbreakable ornaments, a bunch of keys, her old bus pass which has her photo on it, purse with photo's in and sometimes a few coins. I change the contents regularly with 'another set' of things and after a while I revert to the original set as it's all 'new' to her then.

Very tactile objects are good: a sponge, a bean-bag, bubble-wrap, foil gift wrap, a piece of fake fur, a piece of towelling....indeed anything that stimulates the touch sense.

Things that have a distinctive smell can trigger memories: talcum powder, hand-cream, an empty plastic jar from a sweetshop which contained things such as aniseed balls, pear drops or licorice - the smell lingers and most shopkeepers will give you them for free.