Teri Sellers
PebbleCreek Alzheimer’s Support Group is available for residents who have a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia. We meet twice a month, a breakfast social and a support group meeting. Our goal is to provide support and information to families that are caring for a loved one with dementia.
Activities can enrich the life of a senior with Alzheimer’s by providing social interaction and introducing diversity into their daily routine. From music and art, to flower arranging and reading, caregivers can celebrate Valentine’s with Alzheimer’s patients.
1. Listen to love songs. Music can be enjoyed by people at all stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Listen to or sing-a-long to love songs.
2. Create “heart” art. Design homemade Valentine’s Day cards. Share the cards with family, friends, and neighbors.
3. Bake a sweet treat. Prepare sugar cookie dough or purchase pre-made dough. Cut the dough with a heart-shaped cookie cutter and decorate with red and pink sprinkles. The aroma of cookies baking may bring back special memories.
4. Reminisce about love and relationships. Initiate a discussion about sending and receiving Valentine’s Day cards when in school, during dating years, while romancing their spouse, etc. People with Alzheimer’s disease may have retained memories of special experiences and relationships from their past.
5. Make a flower arrangement. Purchase red, white, and pink roses or carnations and have the person arrange them in a vase. Adding baby’s breath and ferns makes a beautiful, traditional arrangement while fostering a sense of accomplishment.
6. Create a memory box. Decorate a box in a Valentine’s Day motif. Fill the box with treasured mementos representing loves and relationships. Include photographs, a love poem, Valentine’s Day cards, etc. Review the completed box and reminisce about relationships and memories of love.
7. Read a book. Reading is an activity that can be beneficial for people in the early, middle, and even the later stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Select books designed specifically for adults living with a memory-loss condition.
8. Conduct an inter-generational activity. Involve children in an activity. Adults may feel a sense of self-worth while assisting young children. Teens may enjoy sharing their art expertise helping with a painting or clay project. For a group activity, consider an outing to a youth or high school basketball game.
9. Share a heart-healthy snack together. Enjoy bright red fruits such as strawberries or add red berries to a milkshake or yogurt. Cranberry juice or red gelatin are good choices to provide hydration.
If you are not a member of our group, it is easy to join. You are not alone. I want to share helpful resources and information with you and add you to our email list. Our support group is an excellent way to learn more about the journey that is dementia and a wonderful way to meet others who are going through the same journey as you. Your information is always safe and confidential. The benefits are priceless. Please contact me, Teri Sellers, at 602-793-0299 or [email protected].