Have a Sensational October

Our senses—sight, touch, taste, sound, and smell—connect our minds with the world we live in. Stimulating our senses, especially as we age, has many positive benefits. These benefits include in-creased socialization, increased concentration, improved self-awareness, and increased alertness. Sensory stimulation can also help older adults recall memories and express emotions, especially those living with memory loss. As a person living with dementia experiences progression in the disease process, their ability to communicate and perform everyday tasks declines. Participating in sensory stimulating activities provides these individuals with a means to express themselves and engage in the world around them.

Sensory stimulation, at its core, aims to evoke positive feelings using everyday objects to awaken one or more of the five senses. There are no boundaries to engaging your senses. This October explore the world through your loved one’s senses. Here are a few ideas to help you get started.

Smell

Have you ever experienced the sensation of smelling a familiar aroma and a memory immediately floods your mind? The sense of smell has a powerful way of connecting us to our past and evoking memories. Evoke memories through the sense of smell. Bake bread with your loved one and reminisce about comfort foods or favorite bakeries. What older adult woman didn’t use Pond’s Cold Cream to remove their makeup? Try rubbing a dollop of the cream on their hands and asking them to inhale the fragrance. For the men, use familiar aftershaves and reminisce about learning how to shave as a young man. Take a moment to smell the pumpkin spice latte before sipping it and reminisce about favorite fall activities.

Taste

Engage the sense of taste through taking time to enjoy each morsel, instead of inhaling it without a second thought. Give your loved one a variety of taste experiences. You could try different chocolates or apple varieties, and then ask your loved one to describe the different textures. Pause to appreciate the sweetness, bitterness, or tartness of each variety. Cook your loved one’s favorite meal with them and then ask them to share memories of that meal.

Sound

Even when it’s completely quiet in the house, there are so many sounds buzzing around that we tend to tune out. Pause with your loved one to fine tune your hearing by listening for those everyday sounds that we typically ignore. Can you hear the refrigerator or house fan running? Is there a rhythm being produced by the washing machine? Sit outside and listen for other sounds. Can you hear the birds singing or hear children playing outside? Is it a busy time of day with many vehicles traveling down the street? Have your loved one close their eyes while listening to the world going on around them. Reminisce about the days when their lives were filled with noise—such as raising a family or working in the office.

Sight

While your loved one’s vision may not be what it used to be, there is still so much to see and appreciate. It is very and relaxing to look at something that is beautiful and memorable to your loved one’s eyes. Take your loved one on a trip down memory lane by looking at old photographs. Let them share about their memories as they flip through albums. Find a documentary about their favorite vacation destination and watch it together. Play a video of relaxing nature scenes or wildlife for your loved one and talk about the feelings they experience while watching it.

Touch

Finally, meaningful touch can be very powerful for anyone, but especially someone living with dementia. Whether it’s a hug, a peck on the cheek, a handshake, or holding hands, touch has a way of eliciting strong emotional connection. Try giving your loved one a hand massage or manicure. Give your loved one a variety of safe objects that relate to their favorite hobbies and encourage them to manipulate and explore. Reminisce with them about their hobbies while doing this activity. Work on finemotor skills through the medium of finger painting. If you have a pet, bring the pet to visit so that your loved one can touch the soft fur. Lastly, linger a little longer as you embrace your loved one and don’t rush off before saying goodbye with a hug or handshake.

Visiting Angels Punta Gorda is here to help you explore sensory engagement with your aging loved one. Perhaps this is a new concept for you and you think that your aging loved one could benefit from sensory activities. Our compassionate caregivers can help your loved one engage their senses while caring for their everyday tasks. We can help in a variety of ways, from walking assistance to dignified bathing, dressing, and grooming care, and preparing healthy meals to light housekeeping chores. If you are ready to learn more about how we can assist, please contact us today by calling, 941-347-8288 Charlotte County or 239-226-1620 Lee County.