My dad is currently living with me. This was a quick and urgent decision and the next day my husband was admitted to the hospital where he continues to remain. I'm looking for ideas what I can give him as an activity that will keep him occupied and give me a little free time to do what I need to get done around the house. The last couple of days has been a lot of tv but I feel guilty just parking him in front of the tv -- even if he is enjoying the movies he's been watching.
Freqflyer - I love the idea of having him watch the squirrels on our porch. I'll pull back the curtain in the daytime so he can watch them and the doves and sparrows that visit the dish with seed we leave outside.
JoAnn - I'll have him help me fold clothes when I do the laundry. I know he likes to be helpful. He tries to wash the dishes but I always end up having to re-wash them after.
Dolly - my dad is SUPER against visiting a senior center. In his words "I don't like old people". I told him "Dad, you're 83... you ARE old people." His response was "but I'm young at heart." *shrugs*
Sunnygirl - We've started listening to Golden Oldies at breakfast to kick off our day and that has had a huge positive impact on his mood. We have gone on walks because we had some milder temps recently. NJ winters are typically super cold though so we're a bit limited at the moment. I think audio books would put him to sleep.
My dad is also in AA -- sober 41 years. As more of his friends have heard about his diagnosis and him moving in with us, they've started to reach out and take him to meetings. He's been out of the house for a couple of hours every day so far this week going to meetings which lifts his spirit and also gives me time to recharge my batteries for a bit.
Edit: Any old family photos? If there are photos you can't identify who are these people, maybe Dad could during times when his brain is in the here & now loop. But be ready for a history lesson regarding that photo, then write on the back the names in case later you want to do a family tree.
Perhaps, others here will have some suggestions. It's just that with dementia, it seems to rob the person of doing much. Eventually, my LO stopped being interested in tv, reading or even talking. Because she could no longer focus, even looking at pictures became too much for her.
I think that's why senior centers during the day can be a good thing, if the person is able to attend. They can keep the person occupied, since their memory is short and focus is poor. They are not able to do that for themselves. If he really enjoys watching tv, I'd be glad and let him enjoy it.