How can therapeutic activities help manage the symptoms of Alzheimer’s?

Planning structured, individualized activities that involve and interest the person with Alzheimer’s disease  may reduce many of the more disturbing behavioral symptoms, such as agitation, anger, frustration, depression, wandering or rummaging. Health professionals who work with Alzheimer’s patients say therapeutic activities should focus on the person’s previous interests, cue the person to old and recent memories, and take advantage of the person’s remaining skills while minimizing the impact of skills that may be compromised.

What kinds of therapeutic activities are best?

Successful activities support a person’s sense of self – bringing out their skills, memories and habits – and reinforce the person’s connection to a group, which can provide friendship and mutual support.

Any number of activities may be beneficial depending on the individual, and different activities may affect certain symptoms but not others. (For example, music therapy may improve eating in some people but not others.) Any former hobby or interest of the person is a candidate, from gardening, cooking, painting and drawing, to singing, playing musical instruments or listening to music, etc. Routine is essential: Activities that are done regularly, perhaps even at the same time every day, may help establish a routine and increase the person’s sense of stability.

Some of the therapeutic activities that have been shown in rigorous research studies to reduce certain problem behaviors in people with Alzheimer’s are:

• playing the music of the person’s choosing
• one-on-one interaction
• playing videotapes of family members;
• walking and light exercise
• pet therapy

Several programs that combine various therapeutic activities have also shown favorable results in people with Alzheimer’s. These include a multifaceted program of music, exercise, crafts and relaxation, and structured sessions combining meditation, relaxation, sensory awareness and guided imagery, so-called mind-over-body techniques designed to calm and soothe.

Where can I learn more about beneficial activities?

Your doctor, nursing staff or social worker should be able to help you determine what types of activities might be best and direct you to community resources that can help. Medical centers or health care service providers that serve Alzheimer’s patients, such as adult care centers or home health care networks, may sponsor programs or know about programs in your area.

One example of a beneficial form of therapy for people with Alzheimer’s is a therapy garden.

Therapeutic gardens are specially maintained gardening facilities that help people remain connected with nature. Research indicates that physical, as well as visual, access to nature helps people recover from illness quicker, reduces stress and lowers blood pressure. Spending time outside aids in maintaining one’s circadian rhythm (the sleep/wake cycle), and being exposed to sunlight provides natural absorption of vitamin D, which is essential for healthy bones.

Access to specially designed gardens can be beneficial to many aspects of health:

Physical – A therapeutic garden can provide exercise through routine activities such as planting, weeding, walking and bending.

Social – Adding play equipment to a garden gives visitors something to do with the person with Alzheimer’s while they visit.

Psychological – A garden space gives you the opportunity to link memories to current activities. For example, installing a putting green for someone who played golf in their youth. 

Spiritual – A therapeutic garden may include a quiet place for prayer or meditation with a bench and reflecting pool.

Activities such as gardening and bird watching allow a person with Alzheimer’s to remain connected to nature and the world around them. They may also offer a sense of purpose to those in the beginning stages of decline, and serenity to those who are in the later stages.