101 Things to Do with a Person Who Has Alzheimer's Disease

Daily activities for people with AD (Alzheimer's Disease) tend to change as the disease progresses. Alzheimer's Disease (AD) tends to limit concentration and cause difficulties in following directions. These factors can turn simple activities into daily challenges. Individuals with AD often don't start or plan activities on their own. When they do, they may have trouble organizing and carrying out the activity. Many caregivers state that the individual often sits in one area of the room, paces the floor, or searches for familiar objects with little interest in doing the things that had once brought meaning and pleasure to life.

By using a variety of activities matched to the person's abilities, the caregiver can help the family member enjoy his current level of skill and talent, as well as retain his sense of positive self-esteem. Here are some ideas to help pass the time throughout the year.

1. Clip coupons	2. Sort poker chips
3. Count tickets	4. Rake leaves
5. Use the carpet sweeper	6. Read out loud
7. Bake cookies	8. Look up names in phone book
9. Read daily newspaper out loud	10. Ask a friend, neighbor, church acquaintance who has a baby to visit
11. Listen to polka music	12. Plant seeds indoors or out
13. Look at family photographs	14. Toss a ball
15. Color pictures	16. Make homemade lemonade
17. Wipe off the table	18. Weed the flower bed
19. Make cream cheese mints	20. Have a spelling bee
21. Read "Reader's Digest" out loud	22. Fold clothes
23. Have a calm pet in to visit	24. Cut pictures out of greeting cards
25. Wash silverware	26. Bake homemade bread
27. Sort objects such as beads by shape or color	28. Sing Christmas carols
29. Say, "Tell me more" when they start talking about a memory	30. Put silverware away
31. Make a Valentine collage	32. Play favorite songs and sing together
33. Take a ride	34. Make a cherry pie
35. Read aloud from labels	36. Dye Easter eggs
37. Make a basket of socks	38. Take a walk
39. Reminisce about the first day of school	40. String Cheerios to hang outside for the birds
41. Make a fresh fruit salad	42. Sweep the patio
43. Color paper shamrocks green	44. Fold towels
45. Have afternoon tea	46. Remember great inventions
47. Play "Pictionary"	48. Paint a sheet
49. Cut out paper dolls	50. Identify states and capitols
51. Make a family tree poster	52. Color a picture of our flag
53. Cook hot dogs outside	54. Grow magic rocks
55. Water house plants	56. Reminisce about the first kiss
57. Play horse shoes	58. Dance
59. Sing favorite hymns	60. Make homemade ice cream
61. Force bulbs for winter blooming	62. Make Christmas cards
63. Sort playing cards by their color	64. Write a letter to a family member
65. Dress in red on a football Saturday	66. Pop popcorn
67. Name the presidents	68. Give a manicure
69. Make paper butterflies	70. Plant a tree
71. Make a May basket	72. Make homemade applesauce
73. Finish famous sayings	74. Feed the ducks
75. Mold with PlayDoh	76. Look at pictures in a National Geographic
77. Put a simple puzzle together	78. Sand wood
79. Rub in pleasant-scented hand lotions	80. Decorate paper place mats
81. Arrange fresh flowers	82. Remember famous people
83. Straighten underwear drawers	84. Finish nursery rhymes
85. Make peanut butter sandwiches	86. Wipe off patio furniture
87. Cut up used paper for scratch paper	88. Take care of a fish tank
89. Trace and cut out leaves	90. Ask simple questions
91. Finish Bible quotes	92. Paint with string
93. Cut out pictures from magazines	94. Read classic short stories
95. Put coins into a jar	96. Sew sewing cards
97. Put bird feed out for the birds	98. Clean out a pumpkin
99. Reminisce about a favorite summer	100. Roll yarn into a ball
101. Make a birthday cake

Compiled by the Lincoln/Greater Nebraska Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, 1999.