During this COVID-19 pandemic, are your loved ones with dementia getting restless from #StayHome exercises, word search, and sudoku puzzles at home?
Instead of constantly finding activities to keep your hands and minds busy, why not take some time out for some casual conversation, engaging in some simple reminiscence therapy as you walk down the roads of nostalgia to revisit things that might have been a big part of your loved one’s childhood or early life?
To get you started, ADA’s created some digital resources as part of our Journey with the Arts & Dementia (JADe) programme. All you need is a laptop or a tablet, and you’re all set to have meaningful, deeper dialogues, with pictures of nostalgic items and guiding questions to get your loved one reminiscing. It’s a great way to get to know your loved one, bond, and even learn some interesting perspectives!
ADA has created a total of five topics ranging from games, wedding-related items to household items; each topic can take at least 45 minutes, but there’s no need to stop the conversation if the session is going well. If they do not have experience with some of the items in the photos, go with the flow and encourage them to participate. For example, you can tell them about how the item was used, and ask them if they had anything similar to play with or use.
The digital kits can be found at dementia.org.sg/jade. We’ve included brief descriptions of each pack so you know what to expect, so get talking and most importantly, have fun!
For ADA’s latest advisories on COVID-19, please visit dementia.org.sg/advisory/covid. You may also refer to our list of COVID-19 care tips and suggestions at dementia.org.sg/covid19.
