Written by Jonathan Hanbury, Founder and Clinical Lead of Ness Care Group, with more than 20 years of NHS clinical and leadership experience.
Why do dementia-friendly activities matter?
Dementia-friendly activities help someone continue using their abilities while supporting enjoyment, confidence and connection.
Regular, meaningful activity can help someone living with dementia continue using important cognitive, social and everyday skills. Structured cognitive stimulation has been shown to support cognitive function and may help slow the rate at which some abilities decline, particularly when activities are purposeful, appropriately challenging and matched to the person’s interests and abilities.
At The Ness, activities are not chosen simply to fill time. A good activity should suit the person, feel achievable and have a clear purpose.
How do you choose the right activity?
Start with the person rather than the diagnosis.
Think about their work, interests and routines. A gardener may prefer watering plants to colouring. Someone who enjoyed cooking may like preparing vegetables or discussing a familiar recipe.
The activity should involve some thought without feeling like a test. Offer it rather than insisting. If the person becomes tired or frustrated, simplify it or try something else.
Which arts and crafts work well?
Creative activities can encourage self-expression, concentration and conversation.
Colouring, painting, collage, flower arranging and card-making can all be adapted. Making a card can also prompt conversation about friends and family.
Knitting or crochet may suit someone who has done it before. If following a pattern becomes difficult, they may still enjoy choosing wool or winding it into balls.
The finished item is not the main point. It is the enjoyment, choice and sense of achievement.
Are puzzles and games useful?
Puzzles and games can be useful when matched to the person’s ability and interests.
Choose clear images and pieces that are easy to handle. Rather than automatically starting with a 100-piece puzzle, consider what the person can manage comfortably. Begin it together, reduce the number of pieces or offer two choices.
Cards, dominoes, matching games and word activities may also work. Avoid correcting every mistake or keeping score if that creates pressure. The aim is engagement, not examination.
How can reminiscence be used at home?
Reminiscence uses photographs, music, objects and familiar places to encourage conversation.
Photo albums are useful, but so are recipe books, postcards, favourite songs and items linked to someone’s work or hobbies. The NHS includes photographs, objects, video and music among the prompts that can be used for reminiscence.
Try not to ask:
“Who is this?”
Instead, comment:
“That looks like a lovely day.”
This allows the person to respond without feeling tested.
Can everyday tasks count as activities?
Everyday tasks can be valuable because they preserve purpose and involvement.
Folding towels, sorting cutlery, watering plants, laying the table or helping to prepare lunch may look ordinary. That is precisely why they can work.
Offer one clear step at a time and allow enough time to respond. Doing something with the person is usually better than taking over.
Can animals and outdoor activities help?
Time with a calm, familiar animal may encourage conversation, touch and relaxation. A family pet, watching birds or visiting a farm may be enjoyable, although it will not suit everyone.
A short walk, café visit, time in the garden or trip to the beach can combine movement, conversation and sensory stimulation. Memory cafés and dementia-friendly groups can also offer social contact. The NHS encourages physical, social and creative activities that allow people to remain involved in things they enjoy.
The outing need not be ambitious. Ten calm minutes outside may be better than a complicated trip involving crowds and noise.
What is the difference between home activities and CST?
| Home activities | Cognitive Stimulation Therapy |
|---|---|
| Informal and flexible | Structured and evidence-based |
| Usually supported by family or carers | Led by trained facilitators |
| Built around familiar interests | Uses themed sessions and recognised principles |
| Supports enjoyment and involvement | Engages several cognitive and social abilities |
| Adapted as needed | Planned, observed, reviewed and adapted |
Home activities can complement specialist support, but they do not replace Cognitive Stimulation Therapy. CST is a structured group treatment for people living with mild to moderate dementia.
At The Ness, we consider which abilities an activity is intended to engage, including language, attention, planning, movement and social confidence. We observe the response and adapt the session as needs change. This planned cycle of activity, observation, review and adaptation is part of the Ness Cognitive Model.
How long should an activity last?
There is no fixed time. Ten enjoyable minutes may be more valuable than an hour that becomes tiring.
What if the person refuses?
Do not insist. Offer a choice, try again later or return to something familiar.
What suits someone with more advanced dementia?
Simpler sensory activities may work better, including familiar music, objects to touch, folding fabrics or photographs. The NHS confirms that people in later-stage dementia can still engage in activities, although these may need to be simplified and focus more on the senses.
Where can families find more support?
Keeping someone active at home can be difficult when you are also managing everything else caring has added to the week.
Ness Care Group provides clinically led dementia and cognitive support through small groups, Cognitive Stimulation Therapy and therapeutic day sessions across Devon.
Find out more about our Ness Memory Hubs and Cognitive Stimulation Therapy, call 01626 774 799 or email info@nesscaregroup.co.uk.