Will Activities for Alzheimer’s Patients Change with the Times?
March 2, 2008 by Mary Emma Allen
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Golden oldies songs, movies with stars from the 40s and 50s, memories about churning butter, World War II photos…these contributed to the activities residents participated in while Mother lived in a nursing home. These activities might bring back memories, make residents feel comfortable in a familiar era when all around them may seem strange, and calm them if they’re agitated.
However, with people from a more recent era developing Alzheimer’s, the activities in nursing homes may need changing to reflect this. They won’t have so much familiarity with the music, movies, and memories of their parents’ days.
Cultural Differences
Also, with more and more cultures (and languages) represented in our country, the activities will have to reflect this, too. I was reading about the need for staff members in nursing homes who spoke languages other than English. Various regions of the country will have a predominence of certain languages.
For instance, New Hampshire, where I live, has long been influenced by the province of Quebec, Canada, where French is spoken. In other parts of the country, Spanish is a more common language. You’ll find a variety nationalities and cultures throughout the United States.
When Alzheimer’s patients revert to their past, they also may lose some of the familiarity with the language they spoke most recently.
Have you encountered any of these situations?
(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen
