Perhaps you’re worried that your loved one won’t be engaged enough in their Morris Plains, NJ memory care community. On the other hand, maybe you’re concerned that they will be overwhelmed and overstimulated. It’s perfectly reasonable to want your loved one to feel comfortable in their living environment. That’s why many memory care communities are utilizing sensory experiences as a way to help residents regulate and engage in meaningful activities.
When planning sensory activities, resident needs and interests are always given careful consideration. Though some sensory activities may be more generic, others, like music therapy, can be tailored to the precise needs and preferences of individual residents.
Reach out to your local memory care community to learn more about how they incorporate sensory experiences into their routines and social calendars.
How Do Sensory Activities Benefit Seniors?
Many studies have shown that using strategic sensory activities can positively impact seniors, especially those living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Some of the most common benefits are explained below.
Decreases Agitation and Improves Mood
Engaging the senses can help reduce stress and promote relaxation. Feeling calm can benefit anyone, especially those with cognitive decline who are not always able to regulate their emotions independently. For those who struggle with feeling agitated often, sensory experiences may decrease their frustration and help them to feel happier.
Potentially Enhances Memory Recall
Sometimes a certain smell, scent, texture, taste, or sound can trigger a happy memory. Although this does not always occur, it can be a positive experience for residents and caregivers alike to share a moment of joy together.
Encourages Social Engagement
Engaging in a shared activity provides a natural launching point for conversations. Whether they are simply talking about what is happening in real time or discussing a memory associated with it, sensory activities promote dialogue and social interaction among participants.
What Kinds of Sensory Activities Are Available In Memory Care Communities?
Although the specific experiences may vary between communities, there are several types of sensory activities for seniors. Each type is tied to at least one of the five senses: touch, sight, sound, smell, and taste.
Tactile (Touch)
From gritty kinetic sand to soft plushie toys or anything in between, feeling various textures can be engaging or soothing. Common fidgets, or even special fidget blankets, can allow seniors to keep their hands busy. Other activities such as knitting, crocheting, or even smoothing crinkled tissue paper to “reuse it” can also engage this sense of touch.
Visual (Sight)
Strategically using lights or vibrant colors can stimulate the mind. Colored pattern blocks with activity cards or interactive light tables can be especially beneficial. Similarly, showing pictures or videos of nature scenes can be soothing and possibly bring a sense of familiarity if residents have visited that specific place or somewhere comparable before.
Auditory (Sound)
Whether you’re passively listening to a song or actively playing an instrument, music can engage the mind and touch the heart. Hearing familiar songs can even help to bring up memories, allowing those with cognitive decline to connect with the real world again for a moment. Calming music or nature sounds can cultivate an atmosphere of relaxation and tranquility.
Olfaction (Smell)
Scents can make a positive impact and even help to trigger memories. Creating scent boxes with common smells like coffee beans, vanilla extract, and flower petals can stimulate the mind as residents guess what is inside. Other smells like lavender or peppermint essential oils can be used in aromatherapy to help reduce stress and promote calmness.
Taste
Very closely related to smell, our sense of taste can also uniquely engage our mind or bring a sense of familiarity. Tasting new foods can be a stimulating experience as flavor profiles are processed while tasting familiar foods can be quite comforting.
Engaging Multiple Senses At Once
Although many sensory experiences happen to engage more than one sense, some activities thoughtfully integrate multiple senses to create a richer, more meaningful experience. Check with your local Morris Plains, NJ memory care community to see if any of the following are offered on their campus.
Cooking or Baking Classes
Good food always brings people together. Since the kitchen team prepares all meals for the memory care community, residents may miss cooking their own food from time to time. Making even the simplest of recipes can be calming, especially for those who enjoyed cooking or worked in food service in their earlier years. With guidance and support, making a delicious snack or treat to share can be a tactile, olfactory, and taste testing delight.
Gardening or Flower Arranging
The aroma of fresh flowers, the softness of the dirt, and the vibrant colors of each plant all work together to create a pleasing sensory experience. Depending on weather conditions and mobility limitations, gardening or arranging flowers can cause joy to bloom for anyone.
Music Classes
Music is a language of its own, often transcending the boundaries of verbal communication. Because of this, music can be a powerful tool for self expression. Similarly, playing familiar instruments or hearing the sounds of familiar songs can be incredibly soothing.
Replicating Household Tasks
The familiarity of simple tasks like sorting silverware, matching clean socks, or folding small towels or baby clothes can be relaxing to seniors with cognitive decline. The smell of fresh laundry and the tactile sensation of feeling different fabrics can promote tranquility and completing these tasks can foster a sense of accomplishment.
Tinkering Boxes or Senior-Friendly Workshops
For those who used to spend hours in their garage or have a background in engineering or mechanics, having a senior-friendly building or fixing activity can be just what they need. Some communities use children’s take-apart toys for seniors to access safe tools while still receiving the satisfaction of “fixing” something that was broken. Similarly, they may use materials like PVC pipes, joints, and elbows to allow residents to create or “fix” something on their own.
Pet Therapy
Feeling the soft fur, hearing the gentle clink of a collar, and seeing such a cute creature can be a positive experience for people of all ages. Interacting with trained therapy animals can promote calmness, happiness, and a sense of familiarity for those who are accustomed to caring for animals. Because of the significant benefits, specific research-backed sensory therapies, like pet therapy, are becoming increasingly popular in modern memory care settings.
Looking for More Information About Morris Plains, NJ Memory Care?
If you are curious about how to help your loved one living with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia navigate smoothly through this next chapter of life, we’ve created a free resource just for you. Download The Caregiver’s Complete Guide to Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care to find out more about how these diseases progress over time and how to best support your loved one throughout the process.
