Hi Nicnak - how fantastic to see you here, it's uplifting to see someone like you taking ideas from carers and those with A/D to try and improve lives. My mum had 2 weeks respite care in a lovely home locally and one of the things that stopped her each day to have a discussion were huge photographs of stars of stage and screen, e.g. Frank Sinatra, Norman Wisdom, Margot Fonteyn etc and pictures of well known landmarks throughout this country; Piccadilly Circus, Angel of the North etc and we would stop by these and they would be talking points, the two of us trying to remember who the actor/place was and then relating to films we had seen with them in, the music we had heard, or the places we knew or had visited. Scrabble is also great fun and even if the rules aren't followed, just the putting of letters together to form words gives some satisfaction.
I also find YouTube invaluable. When mum comes round for tea, I just click on Peggy Lee and play a track and lo and behold mum sings along and remembers a majority of the words, or Frank, or Eartha, or an opera - and things like Showboat, or 42nd Street, being able to play a little clip from them really lightens her mood and it's something we do together, me clicking - her listening and sometimes from this comes a story, a memory. Perhaps if families can tell you the type of music their parent/family member enjoyed you could pick one of these songs to play - just for them, the person centred approach!
Good luck and thank you for your consideration.
