Estimates suggest that dementia impacts over 55 million people worldwide.
The neurological condition that worsens the brain’s ability to think, remember, and reason is spreading unabated, with estimates further revealing that there are nearly 10 million new cases reported every year.
The scenario is alarming for senior citizens who grapple with health complications as they age.
While there’s no cure for dementia, there are an array of strategies and activities that can help the elderly beat the memory blues and ensure improved quality of life.
In the guide below, we’ll elaborate on the best games for elderly with dementia and explore the benefits of playing each one.
Let’s dive in!
For dementia patients, games can play an instrumental role in stimulating and boosting cognitive function. Playing the right game can nudge the brain’s corner toward performing high-order activities (read: cognitive abilities) and drive changes in terms of more strategic and controlled thinking.
Some of these games are designed for seniors, who are facing dementia. It helps to engage different parts of the brain, including memory, attention, and problem-solving. By engaging in these stimulating activities, seniors can effectively slow down the progression of dementia and build mental acumen over time.
Plus, playing these games serves as an opportunity to shatter the shackles of isolation and loneliness.
By inviting friends and family, along with caregivers, to join in for a session of some play and fun, seniors can socially engage and combat feelings of loneliness, as well as improve their emotional well-being.
There are various types of games for seniors with dementia. As you keep scrolling, you’ll find the ones that are definitely worth trying.
Word puzzles – crosswords and word searches, to name a few – are an effective way to hone language skills and sharpen memory. The difficulty levels of these puzzles can be customized as per the capabilities of the player, thus making this an amazing game for treating dementia in seniors.
A significant symptom of dementia is the decline in spatial cognition. For the uninitiated, spatial cognition is how people acquire and use knowledge about their environment to determine where they are, what they need, and how to put something to use.
Visual-spatial games like jigsaw puzzles and object matching can help reverse the decline of spatial cognition by boosting perception and visual awareness. These games for seniors with dementia stimulate different areas of the brain and are engaging to a T.
These are one of the simple games for patients with dementia. Memory-based games challenge short-term memory recall and serve a crucial role in improving cognitive function. Playing matching cards or recalling sequences can be both fun and effective.
The level and quality of social engagement and mental stimulation offered by traditional board games like Scrabble and chess surpass what digital versions offer. As one of the most successful dementia patient games, these promote strategic thinking, decision-making acumen, and problem-solving skills that are considered top-order cognitive functions.
The potential of music therapy for elderly with dementia has been recently established to be beneficial. Engaging in musical exercises and getting familiar with the tune and rhythm of a song has been proven to spark off the mind and evoke memories, significantly altering the mood as well as enhancing cognitive abilities.
Here are 10 specific games that are excellent for seniors with dementia.
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Snakes and Ladders need no introduction. The classic dice-playing game involves multiple players that take turns to roll the dice and move their tokens on the board. It’s quite simple and requires players to follow no-fuss guidelines. Since it’s a multiplayer game, elderly with dementia can also build social connections over it.
Bingo is pretty popular as one of the simple games for dementia patients, this game requires players to match numbers on a card with numbers called out by the host. It’s an effective game for seniors with dementia, as it boosts the ability to recognize numbers and focus. Because Bingo’s premise is easy and anybody can potentially win, it can be a fun game for dementia patients.
Dominoes is a two-player game involving tiles. The players aim to match their respective tiles with the others based on the number of dots on them. This helps develop strategic thinking and the ability to identify patterns. Since tiles are tactile, the game relaxes the elderly and can be adjusted to suit the player’s speed. Most importantly, dominoes can be played alone or in teams, making them socially diverse and entertaining.
Go Fish is a basic game in which players form pairs of cards by requesting them from another player. This game improves memory since players must recall who holds which card, and it boosts social rapport. The game’s rules are basic and straightforward, thus making it suitable for seniors with dementia to play since they will not be confused. The games are rather silly and perfect for playing with friends and family.
Connect Four is a two-player game. The mission is to put discs of your color in a line to have four players in line. It fosters the process of reasoning and forecasting outcomes in the future. Due to the vertical game board and easy-to-use discs, it is easy to understand and entertaining. The basic rules of Connect Four are pretty simple, and the time it takes to complete a game is ideal for short but effective games.
Checkers is yet again a two-player game in which players are supposed to jump diagonally to capture the checkers of the opposite team. The game helps promote cognitive ability and strategic thinking at its finest. Playing checkers involves particular moves aimed at scoring specific goals, which means that people of different skill levels can play and enjoy it.
Jenga involves players having to successfully remove one block at a time from a structure built from several wooden blocks and place it at the top without bringing the structure down. It helps develop hand-eye coordination and improves fine motor skills. It requires suspense and concentration, which are very absorbing. Jenga is a highly physical game that can be played singly or in a group. It is fun but leans a bit toward challenging games.
Old Maid is a card game in which a player aims to form pairs of cards in an endeavor to avoid getting the Old Maid card. The rules are clearly defined, it’s easy to play, and it has benefits for memory and social skills. For a moment, the game can be funny and entertaining, allowing people to giggle and interact with each other. It is also easy to use due to its simplicity, which makes it ideal for seniors with dementia.
Memory, also known as concentration, aims to match pairs of cards. It is especially conducive to enhancing working memory and attention span in the short term. Players can personalize the game by inputting different images to suit their preferences. Memory is simple and can be solved individually or with other people, and it presents an excellent way to improve thinking skills and get entertained simultaneously.
Parcheesi is a racing board game aiming for every player to maneuver their pieces to reach the home area. Adapted from the Indian game called Pachisi, it entails using dice, and there are ways of attacking the opponent and blocking such an attack. They can also lead to counting, planning, and even social interaction due to the involvement of rivals in the game. Parcheesi involves a colorful board and easy-to-follow rules, which are quite suitable for engaging seniors, and, at the same time, they are informative games.
When it comes to choosing the right games for dementia patients, you should prioritize ease of play over everything. The simpler the game, the higher the likelihood of seniors having fun. Here’s a breakdown of what to avoid:
Dementia is affecting millions worldwide; however, these games for seniors with dementia show a sliver of hope.
Incorporating the above-mentioned games, seniors with dementia can drive a 360-degree change in the ways they think, remember, and reason while improving their routine lives by a significant measure.
Besides, they can tap into the benefits of sensory stimulation, reminiscence therapy, and personalized activities that can provide additional cognitive and emotional benefits.
Absolutely, and in a game-changing way! Games provide the much-needed mental stimulus to promote social interaction and frequent get-togethers with friends and family alike. Besides, these games make them happier, and more relaxed, and foster a sense of achievement and pride.
Activities of daily life such as dressing, grooming, meal preparation, and household chores can help dementia patients maintain a sense of independence and routine.
Simple tasks like folding laundry or setting the table can provide structure, purpose, and a feeling of accomplishment, promoting cognitive and emotional well-being.
There are, yes! Examples of memory games such as matching games, reminiscence games, and memory-card games can help improve some areas of memory and cognitive functions in elders who have dementia. These types of memory games operate by recollecting experiences or representing related things or terms.
Caretakers must conduct in-depth research and assess details carefully while selecting dementia games. In making such a decision, it is necessary to consider certain issues, e.g., personal interests, individual capabilities, impairments, etc. Caregivers can achieve this by going through all the possible choices and choosing games with the proper level of difficulty, which will hinder the boredom and overstimulation of dementia patients.
Digital games have certain advantages, but these are only suitable when seniors are familiar with technology and like using modern-day devices. One must avoid selecting games that are overwhelming and result in brain fog.
Regular household chores like folding laundry and organizing drawers can help soothe symptoms in dementia patients. Besides, encouraging them to embrace hobbies like knitting and crocheting can keep their hands busy productively and positively.
