If you are living with dementia, staying active and healthy is essential. Playing games ensures you can focus on a task for an extended period while interacting with friends, family members and carers. The games you may play include ones specifically designed for children.
Sova’s article includes our favourite games for people with dementia to play. After you’ve read our recommendations, you can learn more about the exercises we recommend for people with dementia.
What Games to Avoid for People with Dementia?
Before we discuss our five favourite games for people with dementia, some game types should be avoided. Therefore, it’s crucial to get things right.
Complex Games
Many games can make the most skilled players frustrated and confused. Large board games with several pieces, like Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit, should be avoided for those with dementia.
Computer Games
There are apps or simple video games that you would enjoy playing with your younger relatives and grandchildren. However, fiddly controllers or technology going wrong (The game crashing or reduced power) can cause unnecessary issues for everyone. Therefore, we recommend sticking with classic, reliable games.
Word-Based Games
Games such as Scrabble and Sudoku can be fun early on. However, if you are in the latter stages of dementia, word-based games can be taxing on the mind.
Time-Based Games
When playing a game with your loved ones, there shouldn’t be any pressure to take turns, make a move or think about tasks. The game you play with friends and family should be enjoyed at your own pace.
Our 5 Favourite Games for Adults with Dementia
Snakes and Ladders
A childhood favourite. Snakes and ladders are a great way of getting you, your family members, and your children together in a fun and engaging activity. You can find snakes and ladders in various formats but, selecting an option with bright colours and large pieces ensures the board is easy to see and the pieces are accessible to handle.
Noughts and Crosses
The simplicity of noughts and crosses makes it an excellent game to play if you have dementia. You can play the game with a pen and a piece of paper, or there are tabletop versions you can use. The familiarity of noughts and crosses makes it a game you can enjoy at any stage of dementia, whether that’s early, middle or late.
Dominoes
The black and white design of dominoes is tailor-made for people with dementia to use and understand. Also, the size of a domino makes it easy to hold and manoeuvre around the table. While most people will grasp the concept quickly, playing dominoes is excellent for keeping your mind active.
Bingo
Studies have shown bingo is one of the best games to help with managing dementia due to its simplicity combined with the right level of mental stimulation. The level of concentration and alertness required to play the game have been shown to improve the condition of dementia patients.
Card Games
Old or young, there are endless games you can play with a pack of playing cards. You should avoid playing games that involve tricking your opponent or lying, such as blackjack or poker. Simple card games, like Snap, are preferred, thus providing plenty of fun for everyone. You can use larger cards or specialised cardholders to make it easier to hold the cards while playing the game.
We hope the games in this article will ensure you have fun while keeping your mind active. If you’ve been recently diagnosed with dementia, we can offer dementia care from your home. Sova Healthcare has been providing high-quality healthcare services nationwide for years. Contact one of our friendly staff members today, and we’ll answer all your dementia care-related questions.