Ornament Craft: Activities for Dementia Patients

The holidays can be a bittersweet time for families caring for a loved one with dementia. This year’s pandemic has added a new level of challenges for family caregivers.

Simple crafts can be a welcome distraction to engage your loved one with a special activity that celebrates the season.

Even if you are quarantining with your loved one, you don’t have do this craft by yourselves. Invite family and friends to join a Zoom call where you all work on holiday crafts at the same time.

Tailor the activity to your loved one’s interests and abilities. If they struggle with folding paper, do that part for them while they handle the glue. The purpose of the activity is to have a festive night together.

Ornament Craft

What You’ll Need: 

• Cardstock
• Holiday cupcake wrappers
• Foam stars
• Clear glue
• Ribbon
• Safety scissors

 Steps:

1. Cut a triangle from the cardstock. 
2. Fold a cupcake wrapper in half.
3. Fold the cupcake wrapper in half again so it forms a triangle.
4. Glue the triangle wrapper to the bottom of the cardstock.
5. Continue folding the wrappers and gluing them to the cardstock to fill up the tree.
6. Add the foam star to the top of the tree.
7. Glue the ribbon to the back of the tree.

 See more activities for dementia patients.

Caregiver Tips

1. While doing activities with a loved one with dementia, engage them in conversation. Play music they enjoy softly in the background to create a positive mood.
2. Even though your loved one may not remember names or things that happened in recent days, they may still remember their childhood. Ask about favorite colors or clothing they used to wear.
3. Activities for people with dementia have the best chance of success early in the day when your loved one is well rested. If they don’t want to participate or get frustrated, don’t force it. Try again another time.
4. Remember that the goal is to have an engaging activity with your loved one with dementia. You can coordinate the pillow with your home décor, but the real goal is a fun activity and a way to connect with your loved one. Don’t worry about the end result.

Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to support patients with dementia and their families. Please call us at 1-888-564-3405 to learn more about how our unique care programs help provide a higher quality of life for dementia patients while helping caregivers avoid burnout.

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