Summer is a season full of warmth and joy. It’s a time to spend meaningful moments with incredible people.
Even if a loved one lives in memory care, summer can be a chance to enjoy a beautiful season together. You can help make your time together a positive experience with a few small changes.
For those living in memory care, family visits play a pivotal role. These interactions provide much-needed emotional, mental, and social support. Whether it’s a short walk, a shared meal, or a fun outdoor activity, these moments bring comfort to both residents and their families.
The Importance of Staying Connected When Dementia Is Involved
Dementia can often cause feelings of isolation or confusion, so regular interactions with family become more important than ever. Visits remind your loved one they’re cared for, cherished, and valued. They’re a way to show your loved one how much they matter.
Staying connected with a loved one with dementia brings significant benefits, such as:
- Improving their mood & reducing feelings of loneliness
- Strengthening emotional bonds & maintaining relationships
- Stimulating their memory & cognitive functions
- Providing a sense of routine & consistency in their daily life
But just as important, these visits let you spend time with someone you love. It’s a chance to deepen your bond and enjoy time spent with your loved one.
Tips for Staying Connected With a Loved One With Dementia
Staying connected with a loved one requires a balance of patience, creativity, and understanding. Dementia can create unique new boundaries for communication, so adaptability is key.
Adjusting how you communicate can make your interactions meaningful and positive for both of you.
Visit Regularly
Frequent visits provide consistency and allow you to build a stronger bond with your loved one. Even short visits can brighten their day and remind them they’re not alone.
The specific schedule isn’t as important as the time spent together. Whether you can visit weekly or monthly, focus on quality, not quantity. Preparing ahead of time and being thoughtful make every visit count.
Engage in Fun, Low-Stress Activities Together
Spending time together doesn’t need to be complicated. It can help to engage in low-stress activities together. With a fun, simple task to focus on, it can take stress away from conversation and help you work towards a shared goal. You might:
- Take a quiet stroll around a garden or park
- Work on an easy puzzle or look through a photo album
- Watch a favorite movie or listen to classic songs
- Share a favorite snack or dessert during a picnic
- Sit together in a cozy spot & enjoy the present moment
An organized activity makes a visit much more meaningful and gives you both entertainment.
Use Visual Aids & Photos
Photos and other visual cues can help spark recall or deepen conversations. Bring along family pictures, photo albums, or even videos from past events. With familiar items and visual cues, you can help your loved one focus on the conversation and reminisce together.
Be Patient & Present
Communicating with someone living with dementia can be a challenge. However, with some small changes, you can reduce the risk of distractions.
Be patient at all times, and try to:
- Speak clearly & calmly
- Allow extra time for responses
- Maintain eye contact to show engagement
- Avoid interrupting or finishing their sentences
- Minimize background noise & distractions
Being fully present in the moment lets them feel valued and respected.
Senior-Safe Summer Fun Ideas
Summertime is a beautiful time of year. And when a loved one lives with dementia, you have plenty of senior-safe activities to try together. Remember to practice sun safety and plan for the weather, especially heat and humidity.
If you need an idea for the next time you visit a loved one in memory care, try one of these.
Outdoor Picnics
A simple outdoor picnic at a nearby park or even in the backyard can be a refreshing change of scenery. Pack foods your loved one enjoys, along with a few nostalgic favorites.
Gardening Together
Gardening is a sensory-rich, tactile activity that engages sight, touch, and smell while gently stimulating muscles and joints. Nurturing plants and watching them grow provides a fulfilling sense of accomplishment for you and your loved one.
Even with limited mobility, seniors can participate by choosing plants, watering, or tending to raised garden beds. Adaptive tools can make gardening accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
Arts & Crafts
Engaging in arts and crafts activities can inspire creativity and joy—for you and your loved one. You have plenty of options:
- Painting or drawing
- Making homemade greeting cards
- Scrapbooking favorite moments
- Knitting or crocheting
- Creating simple jewelry like bracelets or necklaces
A creative activity is an enjoyable experience that can bring significant benefits to older adults living with dementia.
Storytelling Sessions
Sharing stories can help you connect with seniors in memory care. It gives them the chance to reminisce, share past experiences, and tell stories from their lives. Storytelling is an excellent way to deepen your bond with your loved one and has plenty of therapeutic benefits.
A Connected Life Is Within Reach
Summer is an opportunity to deepen your bond with a loved one in memory care, creating moments of joy and connection. You can strengthen your relationship by staying patient, engaging in thoughtful activities, and cherishing the time you spend together.
Here at Peregrine Senior Living at Onondaga Hill, we know how important it is to stay connected. That’s why we offer activities and events where seniors, caregivers, and families can spend time together.
In our community, your loved one has daily opportunities to experience activities they love. Schedule a tour with us today to help your loved one find the connected life they deserve.
