Finding the perfect gift for your loved ones is hard, especially if they are suffering from a memory disorder. However, experts say that with a little thought, creativity, and awareness, you can find gifts that will offer real use to people suffering from dementia. This list of gifts for someone in memory care will help you get started.
If you have friends or family members in a memory care home, chances are they are likely suffering from moderate to advanced dementia. Knowing the stage they are at will help you find stage-appropriate dementia products.
Fortunately, now you can find a range of dementia gifts for a loved one in a memory care home. Let’s see what these are!
1. Fidget Tools
People suffering from dementia will benefit from therapeutic toys. For this reason, we suggest you buy a fidget widget that is able to relieve stress and help increase focus, especially for those who have moderate cognitive impairment.
You can find specially designed fidget widgets that allow dementia patients to touch and feel the tool and experience repetitive movements without the need to rely on memory or words to use them. There is no right or wrong way to use them, allowing users to get creative with them and feel a sense of accomplishment and joy.
2. Weighted Blanket
It is no hidden fact that advanced dementia patients frequently suffer from anxiety, agitation and experience trouble falling asleep. To help relieve their anxiety, you can get a weighted blanket for a loved one in a memory care home.
Weighted blankets are designed to induce deep, uninterrupted sleep by calming nerves and mitigating anxiety. These blankets are heavy, relaying ‘deep pressure therapy.’ It provides comfort to dementia patients and is a proven way to lower anxiety levels associated with a memory disorder. When deciding on the right weight of the product, consider the recipient’s physical condition. As a general rule, the weighted blanket should be 10% of the adult’s weight.
3. Favorite Foods Are Good Gifts For Someone in a Memory Care Home
Dementia is a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors like diet and nutrition. If you want to surprise someone in a memory care home pleasantly, take them a meal that is not only delicious but also conducive to their health and memory.
Breakfast is an important meal for dementia patients, so prepare a hale and hearty meal with their favorite foods. We suggest you pack a high-fiber breakfast as it is associated with increased concentration and focus. You can take an omelet with fresh veggies and a side of Greek yogurt. Add a few sliced fruits like juicy strawberries or bananas. You can also take their favorite ice cream flavor as an added treat!
4. Comfortable Shoes with Velcro Straps
A dementia patient, especially one who is at an advanced stage, is likely to experience incontinence. This may pose difficulty and inconvenience for them. For this reason, you can buy them adaptive slippers that feature a fluid barrier that helps protect shoes from spills and smells.
Moreover, it is important for dementia patients to have slippers or shoes that are easy to put on. Otherwise, it will take away their time and may bewilder them. Fortunately, there are plenty of easy to wear, slip-on access shoes made for people with memory problems. These shoes also have more traction and will mitigate the chances of slipping in case they step on any wet surface.
5. Photobook
Research shows that past photos are a way for dementia patients to access memories. Therefore, no matter what stage of dementia the patient is at, a photo book with their old pictures is a great way to take them down memory lane and feel emotions they deserve to remember.
To do this, you can get a scrapbook and create a photo book with some of their favorite pictures from the past. This could be a collection of their childhood, teenage years, and adulthood. This is a great way for dementia patients to spend quality time with their loved ones.
6. Simple Board Games Are Good Gifts for Someone in a Memory Care Home
Dementia patients in a memory care home may find it difficult to pass the time. They don’t just need gifts, they need your time. Take out a Sunday and engage them in some activity upon your visit.
While complex board games may confuse people with advanced dementia, you can try out simple board games to play with someone in a memory care home. This could be snakes and ladders or checkers, basically, anything that is familiar to them.
7. Water Painting Pack
People in memory care homes may lack a sense of accomplishment. You can get them a water painting pack to help them release their ‘feel good’ hormones. Ideally, this shouldn’t be too complicated.
Just make sure this set includes the basic colors that dementia patients can use to paint. It may also boost concentration. This activity will help them get a feel of a task well done and boost their confidence. These sets make really unique and fun gifts for someone in a memory care home.
Wrapping Up with the best gifts for someone in a memory care home
These 7 gifts for someone in a memory care home will allow your loved ones to feel a sense of belonging. These are all great gift ideas for dementia patients. Whether it’s the holiday season or no occasion at all, these gifts will help them connect to their family or boost their confidence and self-esteem. Since dementia patients can be a tad fussy, make sure you don’t disappoint them with these gift ideas for dementia patients.
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