This Insidious Dementia
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This post is all about printables for memory care activity directors.
what are Digital downloads
Digital downloads are quick 1 or 2 pages, sometimes more, that you can quickly print out and use.
They usually don’t require a lot of set up. Just print and use. However, sometimes they might require some cutting, taping or glueing together.
Back in 2022, I created an Etsy store, DementiaHelpingHand, for selling digital downloads to caregivers and to the ones that had dementia or mild cognitive impairment. I soon realized that what I was creating for the caregivers could also work for the memory care activity directors as well.
So what follows are the types of printables or digital downloads that a memory care activity director can find in my Etsy store.
Printables
Matching
Matching activities are great cognitively stimulating exercises for people with dementia. It’s an activity that supports memory, focus, and language skills as well as other benefits.
These are simple products. You print a double set so that you have matching cards, cut them apart and use! I would suggest you laminate first to make them last longer.
There are variations you can do with a lot of these sets. I include information on how to use the sets in other ways.
I have matching sets on –
Animals
Seasonal
Cars
Ugly Sweaters
and many others
Below are just a few of the sets in the store.
Activity Mats
I’m sure you’ve been to restaurants where they have placemats that have activities on them for kids.
These activity mats or placemats are for grown ups. Specifically for grown ups in a memory care facility. Again, easy to print out and use.
The placemats in the store are for holidays.
Features of the placemats found here.
large font size
uncluttered page
large letters to color
easy word searches
easy word unscrambles
song/movie titles geared towards their age range
Here are a few of them below.
Banners
Banners are other items in my shop. You may also call them bunting or pennants. These are holiday or seasonal related.
This would make a good small motor group activity as the residents would pick their pennant color and cut it out. Then they would cut out an alphabet letter and glue it to the pennant. All individual pennants or flags are then attached to rope, string or yarn.
I like this activity because it can either be one large banner for the whole unit or smaller banners that go over the doorway of the resident’s room.
Here are a couple of the banner sets.
Bingo Games
Here is another printable activity that you can use with a large group. These bingo printables are also seasonal related.
The bingo cards are full page so they are easily seen.
Here are a few of these sets.
Memory Kits
I have added Memory Kits to my Etsy shop now. One is for Fall and one for Winter with more to be added. Each kit has multiple activities to do with the residents. This post, Memory Care Seasonal Activities, will give you more information on the units and ideas for use.
Other Activities
There’s a whole bunch of other printable activities in the store as well as those listed above.
There are song games where you either have to match words in a song to the song title or given the song title, sing the next line of the song.
Another type of game is called 5 Second Game where given a group – you have 5 seconds to give 3 answers. Now, I realize that 5 seconds may not be enough time for residents with memory problems to answer so you’ll probably alter the game to fit your residents.
There are also jokes and riddles.
Then, I have a whole bunch of other types of activities. Such as cotton swab dot painting, coloring, Adult Easter and Patriotic Games, scavenger hunt, holiday puzzles and building a snowman game.
And, if you don’t mind getting messy, there are pages for making handprints into designs that are seasonal related.
I have a set of placemats for different holidays and occasions which would work well in a dining area in memory care or assisted living. You can combine those with the matching cutlery pouches for silverwear.
Keep checking back in to the store as I continue to add more digital products.
You Might Also Like
These are some links to other blog posts that you activity directors might be interested in.
Summer Olympic Game Ideas (I know it’s not an Olympic year but you can still play the games)
Meaningful and Purposeful Dementia Activities
How to Use Safari Animal Matching Cards for Memory Support and Fun
Memory Care Seasonal Activities
You can also find caregiver notebooks and daily caregiving logs in my Amazon KDP store.
Feel free to reach out in the comments below if you have any suggestions for printables that your loved one with dementia might enjoy working on.