Coloring, Calming Activity for Those with Dementia

Coloring books for adults is trending right now.  Some studies are showing a slight calming and meditative effect of coloring shapes found in nature.  These images are called Mandala.

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A 2011 Japanese study showed that those with dementia that started coloring had a 10% increase in their quality of life scale.

Finding an activity for someone with Alzheimer’s can be a difficult task.   And the images in many of these mandala coloring books may be too complex for most dementia patients.

This image may be more manageable for someone with dementia.

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Or this:

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Abilities change as a person progresses and more parts of the brain disappear. We do not want to put our loved ones in a situation where they would feel that they have failed.

Simplifying the picture can help.  Framing and hanging pictures, give you and the person with Alzheimer’s a sense of accomplishment.

For ideas on other activities to do with your loved-one with dementia visit:

http://www.alz.org/living_with_alzheimers_101_activities.asp

We at Kiva Assisted Living have found that even unraveling sweaters, dusting a table, or combing each other’s hair can be calming for someone with later stages of dementia. If you would like a tour of our facility to see our secure memory units or assisted living apartments, please contact us.

There are more free coloring pages to print out from your computer.  Visit Pinterest or coloringpages69.com.