Games like Scrabble can help maintain a range of skills for people with Alzheimer’s and related types of dementia. From cognitive interaction to social interaction, Scrabble can lead to building self-esteem and value in the lives of those who play.
If you have a friend or loved one in cognitive decline who played Scrabble as a child or young person, you should encourage that person to play again by offering to play with them. “Oh, it’s too difficult,” you say. No it’s not. Here’s the SECRET. Scrabble the way we play it is FUN!
Our Simplified Version:
1. Just make words. Don’t count the points underneath each letter.
2. Connect the words according to the Scrabble rules, but help each other by suggesting what letters are needed.
3. The first one to play all her letter tiles is the winner.
When you play that way, it’s FUN!
For our weekly Scrabble visit, we play at a leisurely pace. We talk about the words we make, and even share stories that those words inspire. Much of the time we make words consisting of two, three or four letters. But that’s OKAY. It’s not about setting records…it’s about having FUN and we do that!
Games such as Scrabble that our dear friends played earlier in their lives (and that we’ve modified) and are continuing to play today help them feel like themselves again. They feel a sense of independence and a sense of accomplishment. And….you know what I’m going to say…We’re all having FUN!
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