When the Lady-Links visit our dear friends with dementia, a two-fold successful experience is the goal. We want the visit to be enjoyable for everyone as well as provide a way that each dear friend becomes engaged in whatever activity we have planned. Playing the card game Uno each visit with one of our dear friends is the answer for her. She loves it and so do we!
She needs a little help sometimes with dealing the cards if she loses count, but she can manage it. Dealing helps maintain hand-eye coordination, and she feels capable and successful each time she performs the role of a dealer.
Card games stimulate cognitive function, and Uno is no exception. To play the game, you have to match colors and/or numbers plus you have to follow directions when a wild card or action card is played.
Although there is no cure for Alzheimer’s at this time, there are benefits to staying mentally active. Activities in which a person with Alzheimer’s can contribute by being a valued member of a group provide a sense of success and accomplishment. Their emotional outlook improves, and they often retain their cognitive function longer. Isolation can lead to depression and despair whereas enjoying a small group activity provides positive feelings that tend to linger after the event has ended.
To select an activity which will be beneficial for your friend or loved one with dementia, consider the suggestions we have used to plan for our Lady-Links visits:
- Try to determine what activities she did as a child or young adult and select one of those or something similar.
- Keep the activity simple. Sometimes modifications need to be made.
- Focus on enjoyment, not keeping score.
- Be flexible…be encouraging…and laugh.
Just remember….don’t let your reason for being there get lost in the shuffle!
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