How to fill time/stop boredom?

[Lovetosing]

Any suggestions on what occupies your loved ones would be much appreciated.

My mom is exhausted and has little time to herself to even watch tv when dad is at home. He will read magazines, listen to music he is familiar with and sing, play tiddlywinks or snakes and ladders for a while but then gets bored. He loves being in a social situation but that isn't possible, all day, every day. When there are house visitors or he is out he is happy people watching or having some banter with those he knows. He cannot engage in two way conversation, give an opinion on anything or follow story lines on tv/radio any more. Mom doesn't drive so can't take him out. Neither of them are able to walk far anyway. Fortunately dad does attend an excellent day centre and he & mom go together to a lunch club on another day. Nonetheless, other days can be long and hard to keep him occupied.

I am in the process of completing a life story book and putting some photos in it as I think dad will enjoy going through this and I am going to photocopy some bank notes as he used to love counting money in the early stages of his dementia. Unfortunately we cannot give him any real money to keep, as it goes missing, sometimes found but more often not, much like his teeth, glasses etc!

In fact does anyone know where to purchase fake English money from? Dad would probably notice if it wasn't fairly realistic or if it had 'Sample' or similar words stamped across it.

Any responses gratefully received. Thanks.

 

[jeany123]

I don't think you would be able to buy any replica money that looks real, just toy money, as it is illegal to to even just photocopy notes,


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[Katrine]

Play money can be bought very cheaply, try eBay. Early Learning Centre also sell it.

I love your idea of the life story book. My mother really enjoyed something similar. I took photographs from her many albums, scanned them on the computer, and enlarged/improved/cropped the images so I could print them out A4 size. Then I put them in display books. Each book took about 20-40 images. I was able to theme the books so that she could look at e.g. pictures of her family in her childhood / pictures taken during her war service / pictures from her stage career / pictures of her own children etc. You would be amazed at the detail that is in seemingly tiny old photographs once you enlarge them.

As for TV, the best programmes are ones that have good pictures and don't jump around between stories. Antiques Roadshow, gardening programmes, Chelsea Flower Show, animal/zoo programmes, musical concerts, and good old David Attenborough. You may also find that he can still follow very familiar films, especially musicals.

It sounds as if you dad probably does get bored because he has a short attention span, but don't assume he is bored just because he stops doing things. People with dementia need longer to process their thoughts. If he's just looking out of the window, or sitting with an unread magazine, let him have some quiet time.

However, I can quite see that if he's pestering your mum then you want to provide him with a good range of alternative activities that he can manage by himself. As time goes on he will need more help and direction to engage with any activity. It is good that he is a social person because he will probably allow other people to get him involved in things, e.g. at more day centre visits or befriending visits at home.

 

[Witzend]

I forget where I heard it now,but someone suggested one of those containers with masses of little drawers for different nails and screws, etc. OH has one. What you do is muddle them all up and then ask the person to sort them out, which can take forever if you have enough.

If the person's short term memory is bad enough you can keep muddling them up and asking them over and over. More likely to appeal to anyone who was into DIY though!