Supporting Seniors with Alzheimers
Watching an elderly relative suffering cognitive decline in old age can be tough. The good news is that many senior care communities have introduced programs to help struggling patients and their caregivers. Programs like these are often referred to as meaningful engagement, which refers to the company’s relationship with its clients, how it helps them stay socially connected, and the specific activities they provide for their clients.
Supporting Seniors with Alzheimer’s – 5 Key Components of meaningful engagement
Supporting Seniors
Engaging seniors in meaningful activities can help to lower the risk of developing dementia. Here are 5 key components to support seniors suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s:
Exercise and General Fitness:
Feeling your best and being able to move as freely as you can is vital to wellness. Therefore, fitness is an important aspect of anyone’s life. This is also the case for the elderly. Making sure that they take part in appropriate exercise is paramount to their social and cognitive wellbeing. This becomes especially important when dealing with someone suffering from dementia, who one may have been exercising with in the past.
A Sense of Community:
A sense of belonging and of community helps to anchor someone in the present. This is especially true for the elderly. They may be afflicted with cognitive decline, but they still have needs, desires, and wants that give them purpose. For those living in St Louis, St Louis memory care services can help with a sense of community.
Sensory Perception:
A sense of touch and sound are also important to seniors. So are sights and smells, as well as other senses that feel meaningful to them.
Meaningful Engagement:
Staying in touch with friends and family and being active in their routines are some ways that one can keep social engagement. This is important not only because it helps people to feel included in activities, but also because it helps to combat loneliness.
Cognitive Abilities:
The importance of engaging in meaningful activities cannot be emphasized enough. This is especially true when dealing with someone who has dementia; provide entertaining ways to engage the brain, from crosswords, board games, and puzzles. These activities can help the elderly person stay engaged in life as they would have previously.
Key Takeaway
As a result, the Senior Care Community looks to offer opportunities that appeal to seniors and provide meaning for them. It is important to remember that meaningful engagement helps not only the seniors in need of help but also their family members and caregivers.
The Alzheimer’s Association outlines how to change or adapt activities so that seniors suffering from cognitive decline can still enjoy them. Research has shown that seniors with cognitive decline have an increased need for social engagement, even if they no longer remember their positions in these activities.
For the elder’s cognitive decline to be slowed or reversed, it may be necessary for a caregiver or relative to take part in an exercise program. Senior living communities often suggest these kinds of things as well. If you are having difficulty with some exercises or other activities due to aging, then you should consult with your doctor about what is age-appropriate for you.
