If you want the short list, these are my top hand activity picks for dementia patients, and you’ll find the details on each one further down.
If someone you love has dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, you may have noticed their hands never seem to rest. Rubbing at bedding or clothes, wringing, twisting fingers, and rubbing hands together can be ways of showing agitation or anxiety.
Sometimes restless hands go looking for something that can cause injury. I hope to give you plenty of better ideas that keep them busy and help them feel more at ease.
You’ll find easy activities, crafts, and sit-down games, along with how to match them to the early, middle and late stages.
Why Do Dementia Patients Fidget?
If a dementia patient is anxious or stressed, you can usually see it in their hands.
They are likely to pull at their clothes, wring their hands, rub their skin, or twist their fingers if they are afraid, upset, or agitated.
Fidgeting and similar behaviors are often how people with dementia deal with discomfort. That discomfort can come from pain or a physical need they can’t put into words, so if the fidgeting is new or suddenly worse, ask their doctor to check.
How Can You Choose Activities for People with Dementia that Are Safe?
Activities are key to keeping a dementia patient’s hands busy to help with the fidgeting, but it isn’t always easy to choose the right ones. Ideally, you should plan activities that the person with dementia enjoys in his/her daily routine. If you want ideas that focus on what the person can finish and feel good about, here are some puzzles and activities for someone with dementia.
To ensure that you only choose activities that are safe and help the person enjoy them:
- Match the activities with the person’s capabilities and cognitive function
- Pick activities that are fun for all
- Watch to see whether or not the person becomes frustrated
- Determine whether the person can do the activity alone or needs help
- Avoid overstimulating the person – try a new activity for only a few minutes the first time
- Focus on enjoyment as opposed to achievement
- If it’s more enjoyable, let the person watch
- Help the person get started
- Be careful with small items that can easily be placed in the mouth.
Matching Activities to Early, Middle and Late Stage Dementia
What works in the early stage will frustrate someone in the middle stage, and the late stage is a different job again. Here is how I would match things up, and it is fine to move back a step on a bad day.
Early stage. Your loved one can still enjoy many favorite pastimes with small changes. Aim for just enough challenge to build confidence.
For the mind, try large-piece jigsaw puzzles, crosswords and word searches in large print, sudoku, and matching games. Slide puzzles and bubble word search are two more options.
For company, try classic board games and card games, and relax the rules as needed. For movement, try beanbag toss, seated exercise to music, or seated virtual reality games with someone nearby, since a headset can throw off balance.
Tablets can offer word game apps and virtual board games with adjustable difficulty. Hobbies can carry on too, such as a gardening station with raised beds, adapted cooking with pre-measured ingredients, or a reading nook with large print.
Middle stage. Your loved one needs simpler activities and more support. Pick things that use the abilities still there, and do not correct mistakes or rush.
Good choices are puzzles with fewer, larger pieces, sorting games, stacking toys, and fidget blankets. Scented hand massages, nature baskets, singalongs, simple shakers or drums, big crayons, play dough, and photo albums or memory boxes also suit this stage. Focus on color, texture and motion rather than the finished product.
Late stage. Structured games may no longer be possible, so the focus shifts to comfort and dignity. Try hand massages, soft brushing of the hair, calm music, or sitting by a window to watch birds.
Folding soft towels or sorting socks still gives a sense of purpose. So can familiar hymns or prayers, or holidays with special foods or decorations. Sitting quietly and holding hands counts as an activity too.
Wherever your loved one is, set up a calm space with good lighting. The activity space guide covers this, and a corner of the living room can work well, with mobility aids kept in reach. If relatives live far away, a video chat can carry a game or a singalong.
One trade-off: stages do not change on a schedule, so expect to adjust as you go.
Top Ideas to Help Seniors with Dementia Keep Their Hands Busy
1. Fidget Blankets
People with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease often develop repetitive motions or fidgeting patterns. Unfortunately, while fidgeting can be soothing for some people, it can be distressing and cause anxiety for people with dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Fidget blankets can help some people with dementia feel calmer. Fidget blankets, which are also known as sensory mats, provide a stimulating and soothing activity for people living with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
2. Fiddle Boxes/Busy Boards
Fiddle Boxes or busy boards are a similar concept to fidget blankets. A fiddle box is simply a box filled with items that provide a variety of tactile stimulation. Similarly, a busy board is a board filled with items that offer various tactile experiences too.
You can buy ready-made fiddle boxes, busy boards or fidget blankets, or you can make your own for the person in your care. When you put together a fiddle box or busy board, you should consider the person’s interests or hobbies.
You don’t even have to spend a fortune making fiddle boxes or busy boards. You can fill the container/board with readily available inexpensive materials.
Gather items in different textures and colors, choosing pieces too big to fit in the mouth and with no small parts that can come loose, such as:
- Cloth swatches of various textures
- Mini stuffed animals
- Brightly colored plastic springs
- Little wind-up toys
- Items with Velcro closures or zippers
- Old keys on a keyring
3. Hand Muffs
Dementia patients often have restless hands especially if they had been accustomed to performing manual activities such as typing, knitting, or even playing a musical instrument prior to the onset of dementia/Alzheimer’s.
Hand muffs are a type of sensory band, usually a glove or pocket with attachments both inside and out. The attachments are a variety of items the person can fiddle and twiddle with their fingers.
Fiddling and twiddling can be soothing for many people with dementia.
4. Sensory Toys and Activities for Seniors with Dementia
Sensory stimulation challenges the 5 senses in new ways in dementia patients and this can help spark old memories. Sensory activities and toys can help dementia patients recall positive emotions and memories.
Here are some of the sensory toys and products that dementia patients can enjoy:
- Stroking an animal
- Stroking different textured materials
- Smelling fresh flowers
- Rubbing a soft fleece blanket
- Brushing hair
- Flipping and spinning coins, with someone nearby, since coins are easy to put in the mouth
- Dressing and caring for dolls, especially in late stages
- Foot, neck, and hand massage
- Visiting a flower show or herb farm
- Smelling fragrant essential oils, kept out of reach since they are harmful if swallowed
5. Knitting/Crotchet
If the dementia patient used to crotchet or knit, you can consider getting some large gauge hooks or needles along with brightly colored yarn.
Activities such as knitting or crotcheting require a good deal of concentration and skill. The person may still find the repetitive activity enjoyable even if they don’t end up making the best scarves.
6. Household Chores/Everyday Activities
You might assume that household chores are tedious, but for dementia patients, they are rewarding. They help the senior gain a sense of accomplishment and independence.
In fact, the person may get agitated if you leave them alone to take care of essential household tasks such as laundry.
If so, try finding ways for the dementia patient to help with the following:
- Folding laundry
- Organizing paperwork
- Smoothing crumpled tissue paper
- Playing with paperclips, with someone nearby, since small items can end up in the mouth
- Shuffling and arranging a deck of cards
The activities above might not always be performed up to your standard by the dementia patient, but he/she will enjoy feeling helpful.
7. Games for Dementia
Simple but fun activities such as games sometimes produce the best results. Not only are such games familiar to your loved one and relatively easy to participate in, but they can help the person feel productive.
You probably have several options of games for people with dementia in your closets you can use right now.
Here are some games you should try playing with the dementia patient:
- Dominoes
- Matching game
- Playing cards
- Crosswords
- Jigsaw puzzles with large pieces
- Old board games such as Scrabble and Snakes and Ladders
Tile Matching Dementia Activities Game
Read my full review of the Tile Matching Dementia Activities Game.
This is a wooden tile-matching kit made for people with dementia. You match chunky solid-wood pieces to a template, so the goal is clear and the activity can be finished.
It has three difficulty levels, and that is the best part. A caregiver can start easy and move up, or step back down on a tougher day. The same set can also keep working as abilities change over time. The pieces are easy to grip and built to handle daily use.
It comes with 26 templates and a compact storage box, so it works at home or in a memory care setting.
The trade-off is that it works best when you start at the right level. That takes some judgment from you at the beginning, and a level that is too hard will frustrate the person quickly. Also watch the templates. Paper sheets wear faster than laminated card if they get handled every day.
8. Puzzles
Puzzles give the mind something to work on, and many people with dementia enjoy that.
They can also be calming, and they can be done alone or as a group activity.
Large print puzzle books are available in easier versions that may provide a few minutes of mental stimulation.
Yigney Large Piece Jigsaw Puzzle
This is a set of six large-format jigsaw puzzles, 48 pieces each, packed together in one storage box. The piece count is aimed at people in the middle stage of dementia, so it’s enough to feel like a real puzzle without turning into a chore.
Each puzzle has a different picture, and each comes with a full-size reference poster of the finished image. That helps a lot. Someone who gets stuck can look at the poster and keep going instead of giving up. The box doesn’t mention dementia or Alzheimer’s anywhere, so it also works as a gift without feeling like a label. Everything stores back in the one box, which is handy at home or in a care setting.
The trade-off: 48 pieces may feel too easy for someone in the early stage, or for a lifelong puzzle fan who will want more of a challenge. And if the puzzles get heavy daily use, keep an eye on the pieces, since durability under repeated use isn’t fully confirmed.
9. Hobbies and Crafts
Activities to keep dementia patients’ hands occupied can include tasks they engaged in prior to the condition.
Hobbies such as flower arranging and baking can be enjoyed by the dementia patient and the finished results are something that they can be proud of.
Gardening is another popular activity that a dementia patient can enjoy. You can consider providing specially constructed raised beds that are easier for seniors to work on.
Growing their own vegetables can also give dementia patients a sense of achievement. Plus a physical activity like this helps overall health.
Crafts too can be a great way to keep the hands of dementia patients occupied and provide some creative expression.
Simple crafts where it’s hard to go wrong are usually ideal for dementia patients, such as stacking up party cups, making scrapbooks, matching and sorting picture cards, playing with homemade play dough, etc.
Reusable Water Painting Activity Book
This is a water painting kit with a farm memories theme. You wet the brush, brush over the picture, and the colors appear. There is no paint, no choosing colors, and no scissors or glue, so there is nothing to spill and nothing to get wrong.
That is what makes it a good fit for early- to mid-stage dementia. With so few decisions to make, there is less room for frustration. The sheets are also reusable: the picture disappears as it dries and comes back when you add water, so one set can last through many sessions.
Two things to know. The picture fades as the paper dries, so if you or your loved one expects a finished piece to hang on the fridge, this will not give you one. The kit also comes with only one brush, and the handle may be too thin for someone with arthritis or a weak grip. A thicker-handled brush from the craft aisle could solve that.
10. Exercise and Outdoor Activities for Dementia
Exercise and outdoor activities can have numerous benefits for people with dementia.
Many people find that being active and spending time outdoors helps with sleep and mood.
Physical activities help overall cardiac and breathing health as well.
Check with your loved one’s doctor before starting something new, and go along so they are never out alone. Exercise and outdoor activities dementia patients can engage in include:
- Riding Three Wheeled Bikes
- Fishing and Hiking
- Walking around the local park
11. Music and Art Activities for Seniors
Art and Music are a wonderful way of letting dementia patients explore their creative side through self-expression. Such activities can elicit powerful emotional responses and help them reconnect with memories.
Nostalgia can be an excellent way to help the person with dementia connect with their past.
Activities to consider include:
- Knitting
- Painting pictures of fruits and other common objects
- Drawing homes they have lived in
- Adult coloring
- Reproducing their favorite photo of a loved one
- Listening to their favorite songs, band, singer, or genre together
- Creating a Spotify playlist of their favorite genre or artist
- Explore art museums.
A Simple, Familiar Music Player
Audiocrazy Vintage Wooden AM FM Radio
Read my full review of the Audiocrazy Vintage Wooden AM FM Radio.
The Audiocrazy Vintage Wooden Radio in Deep Walnut is an alarm clock, an AM/FM radio and a Bluetooth speaker in one device. It has a warm walnut look that fits on a nightstand, and it needs no apps or streaming accounts.
For someone with dementia, the appeal is a radio that looks and works like the ones they grew up with. It holds 80 AM/FM presets, so a caregiver can save favorite stations once and nobody has to retune each morning. Tap-to-snooze and a sleep timer are handy at bedtime, and the clear display makes the time easy to read.
The trade-off is setup. Saving the presets and setting the alarm takes patience and may need a family member’s help. If the power flickers, the clock may also need to be reset, so it works best where a caregiver checks in regularly. It also has more features than some people need, so if you want a single button and nothing else, a simpler player may suit better.
Large-Piece Puzzle Set With Very Few Pieces
A regular jigsaw puzzle can turn from a pleasant activity into a frustrating one fast. If the pieces are small or there are too many, it can feel like a test instead of something to enjoy. A puzzle with only a couple dozen big pieces gives hands something to do and gives the person a small win when it’s finished. It also helps to have a few different pictures, so you can swap them out when one gets old.
Here’s what to look for. The pieces should be big and thick enough to pick up and hold without pinching. The finished puzzle should be small enough to sit on a lap tray or bedside table. Pick pictures that are clear and calm, and ones an adult won’t mind having on the table. The downside is that a low piece count may be too easy for someone who still likes a challenge. If that’s the case, a bigger puzzle like the one above may suit them better.
Quokka Dementia Puzzle Set
Read my full review of the Quokka Dementia Puzzle Set.
The QUOKKA 63 Piece Dementia Activities set is three jigsaw puzzles with 21 oversized pieces each. The pieces are easy to grip, which helps if arthritis or unsteady hands make small pieces frustrating.
The three designs show birds and cats, so you can switch between them for variety. Each finished puzzle measures 9.1 x 13.3 inches, which fits on a lap, a tray table, or a bedside surface.
Scott has handled this one, and it suits someone in the middle or later stages of dementia who needs a simple task with a clear finish. If a puzzle gets too easy or too hard, you can set it aside and bring out another.
The trade-off is that 21 pieces may feel too simple for someone in the early stages. The pictures are also only birds and cats, so if your loved one doesn’t care for either, this set won’t hold their interest.
Easy Large-Piece Puzzle Set for Dementia
A single puzzle does its job, and then it’s done. If your person enjoys having something to do with their hands, you’ll probably want a few more to switch between. A set of simple puzzles gives you that without a new shopping trip every time. It also means the same picture doesn’t come out every afternoon.
Here is what to look for. The pieces should be big and few, and about 20 is plenty. They should be easy to pick up and fit together without frustration. A reference picture the same size as the finished puzzle is helpful, because a small image on a box lid is hard to follow. Separate storage bags keep the sets from getting mixed together, and one lost piece is much easier to spot. The downside is that puzzles this simple are not meant to be a challenge. Someone who likes a real brain-teaser will finish them quickly and may find them too easy.
Dementia-Friendly Jigsaw Puzzles
Read my full review of the Dementia-Friendly Jigsaw Puzzles.
This set has six animal puzzles with 20 large pieces each. Each puzzle comes with a matching reference poster and its own storage bag, so the pieces for one picture stay together.
The poster is full size, the same as the finished puzzle. That means you can match pieces against a clear picture and not a small image on a box lid. Having six themes in one set also means whoever helps with activities doesn’t have to find something new every week.
Twenty pieces is intentionally simple. If the person you care for still enjoys a real puzzle challenge, this will feel too easy. It suits someone who needs a quick win, or who does better with fewer pieces on the table.
Squeeze Balls for Hand Exercise
Most of the things above keep hands busy by giving them a job: placing a tile, turning a card, fitting a puzzle piece. A squeeze ball is simpler.
It gives restless hands something to hold, and it works the muscles a little at the same time. It needs no rules and no setup, and nobody has to remember how it works.
That matters when a person with dementia gets frustrated by anything that feels like a test.
If arthritis makes the hands stiff or sore, ask the doctor or a hand therapist whether squeezing is a good idea and which firmness to start with.
Here is what to look for. Pick a set with more than one firmness, because a ball that is too hard will hurt and one that is too soft will get ignored. Choose a shape that sits comfortably in the palm, and a soft, pleasant-feeling surface. Check the size too. It should be big enough that it can’t be mistaken for something to put in the mouth. The downside is that these are plain, and some people will squeeze them for a minute and set them down. Also, a set may not come with a case, so you may need a basket or bag to keep the balls from rolling off.
Hand Therapy Squeeze Balls
Read my full review of the Hand Therapy Squeeze Balls.
This pack has four squeeze balls, each with a different level of resistance. That runs from soft, gentle work up to firmer grip training, so you can start where your hand is today and move up when it feels right.
The oval shape fits the curve of the palm, which makes it easier to hold than a standard round ball. They are lightweight and need no setup, so one can sit by a chair or bedside and be picked up anytime. For someone with dementia, a simple squeeze gives the hands something steady to do. The pack is also marketed for arthritis.
One thing to know: the resistance levels are not labeled on the balls. You tell them apart by feel, so you may want to mark them yourself or keep them in a set order. No carrying case is included either, so a small bag or basket will do if you want to take them along.
Hand Exerciser for Grip and Finger Strength
Puzzles, cards and paints give the hands something to do, but they don’t ask much of the muscles. A hand exerciser is the simple option: something to squeeze, pinch and stretch. It needs no rules to remember and no pieces to lose. It can sit in a lap during a quiet afternoon, and if it gets set down halfway through, nothing is spoiled.
Here is what to look for. Pick one with more than one level of resistance, so you can start with the easy one and move up. Soft silicone that doesn’t tear is better than stiff rubber. It should be comfortable to hold, and big enough that it can’t be mistaken for something to put in the mouth. Check whether the levels are labeled, because some sets only tell them apart by color, or not at all. The downside is that a plain squeeze ring is not as entertaining as a game. Some people will need a little company or a gentle “try this one” to get started. If hands are painful or healing from an injury, ask the doctor which level is right.
Finger Strengthener Exerciser
Read my full review of the Finger Strengthener Exerciser.
This set has six silicone rings in three resistance levels. You squeeze them to work your grip, and you can also stretch your fingers outward against them. That means one tool works both the squeezing and the opening muscles of the hand.
It suits someone who is starting out with limited hand strength and wants to build up slowly. You begin with the lightest level and move up when it feels easy. There are no batteries and nothing to set up. It is also small enough to keep in a pocket or beside a chair for idle moments, and the repetitive motion gives restless hands something to do.
One thing to know: the resistance levels may not be labeled on the rings, so sort them by color when you open the package. The strength is also not given in measurable units, so this is not a match for the equipment a physical therapist uses. If you have been given specific hand exercises with measured resistance, ask the therapist before swapping this in.
Weighted Plush Companion for Comfort
Busy hands are a good thing, but so are calm ones. Games, puzzles and painting give hands something to do. A weighted plush gives them somewhere to rest. It is a soft stuffed animal with some extra weight inside. Many people with dementia like to hold something, stroke it or keep it in their lap, and a weighted plush is made for that.
Here is what to look for. First, check the weight. A few pounds is plenty, and it should feel like a snug lap blanket, not a sack of flour. Heavier ones can tire the arms. Next, look for a soft, plain fabric that is easy to hold, with no small parts like loose buttons or beads that could come off. Check the care instructions too. Things get spilled, so you want a plush you can clean without much fuss. If it can be warmed or chilled, find out how, because some need a microwave and need care so they don’t get too hot. One downside is that these are bulkier than a regular stuffed toy, and not everyone takes to one. Some people will hug it right away, and some will set it aside.
Give Hugz Weighted Plush Monkey
Coco the Monkey from Give Hugz is a soft plush monkey with extra-long arms that wrap around you like a hug. It weighs 3.8 pounds and stands 10 inches tall, so there is a steady, gentle weight to hold in the lap or against the chest.
For someone with dementia, a plush like this gives restless hands something to stroke, hold and settle on. It can also be heated or chilled, which adds a warm or cool feel some people find calming. It is scent-free, which matters if strong smells bother the person you care for.
The trade-off: a weighted toy is not for everyone. Some people find the weight uncomfortable, or may not want a stuffed animal at all, so watch how the person reacts. If you heat it, check the temperature by hand first so it is never too warm. Give Hugz offers a 30-day return window, which helps if it is not a fit.
12. Social and Emotional Activities
Regular physical, social and emotional activities can support mood and quality of life for people with dementia. Aim for activities that can become part of the daily routine.
Examples include:
- Reading with or to them
- Going on a short outing in nature
- Baking something or cooking meals together
- Watching a movie, TV show, or family videos together
- Sing their favorites songs as a group
- Go to museums and festivals as a group
- Make a memory box with other members of the family
- Have them tell stories or read books out loud
13. Technological Activities
Technologies such as computers, tablets, and smartphones allow seniors to stay connected with family and friends. Technology allows a person with dementia to create and express himself/herself in a wide range of ways, which include:
- Using a desktop PC, laptop, or tablet to play screen-based games
- Using an easy-to-use digital camera to capture new memories in the form of photos and/or video
- Searching the Internet together for photos or other resources
- Using a console to play video games
- Using a scanner to digitize existing photos or documents.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Do activities matter for a person in the later stages of dementia?
Activities do matter for a person in the later stages of dementia. They help keep the person occupied and engaged and allow them to use their energy in a positive way.
Activities can also help ease common but challenging dementia behaviors such as repeated questions, agitation, and anger.
How do you make a dementia patient happy?
With suitable surroundings and support, many people with dementia can still enjoy good days and find satisfaction for years after diagnosis.
The happier they are the less likely they are to get angry or start exhibiting worrisome behavior. Here are some effective tips for making a dementia patient happy:
- Providing emotional support and a relaxed environment
- Helping the person feel safe and comfortable
- Spending time talking to them and relaxing with them
- Adding fun activities
- Adding meaningful activities
Do dementia patients feel bored?
Yes, just like everyone else, dementia patients may feel bored from time to time. Unfortunately, when they are no longer able to plan their own activities, the boredom may easily turn to frustration.
The person may become agitated and start wandering the house, simply because his/her mind has been idle for too long. Activities that will keep dementia patients busy and engaged can help get rid of boredom.
Should dementia patients watch TV?
Watching TV is a popular leisure activity for many older people, but it can become a challenge when dementia symptoms get in the way. Some programs, such as the news or violent shows, can upset or confuse a person with dementia, so it helps to choose what is on.
However, watching TV with a caregiver or a person close to them can be good for the emotional well-being of the dementia patient.
Is coloring good for dementia patients?
Coloring can be a good activity for dementia patients, and many people find it calming and less stressful.
The therapeutic value of activities like coloring partly comes from the person’s need to concentrate and participate so that they essentially stop thinking about their troubles while coloring.
Do dementia patients feel lonely?
Dementia patients can still experience emotions such as loneliness.
The person may no longer move independently or even hold a conversation, but he/she may still respond to close attention, through eye contact or a gentle touch of the hands.
Summary
Keeping their hands busy can help seniors with dementia feel less agitated or frustrated. The best way to do that is by engaging in activities.
This resource of activities for seniors in various stages of dementia should be meaningful and appropriate to their manual dexterity and logic processing ability.
They should also be simple to accomplish and judgment-free. They should help improve their quality of life not add to their frustration.
Try finding a balance between tactile and cognitive activities since the dementia patient is likely to find them more interesting if both the mind and body are stimulated.
Provide lots of verbal communication and written instructions and don’t be afraid to provide a demonstration if necessary. The activity area should also be kept uncluttered, clean, and well-lit.
I hope this article has given you several ideas for activities that a senior you love can do to keep their hands busy. Choose a few activities you think are a good fit based on their illness level and try them out.
Be prepared to make a few notes – this could be a trial-and-error exercise until you find the best choice you them.
Sources:
- https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ConditionsAndTreatments/dementia-activities-and-exercise
- https://www.dementia.org.au/about-dementia/i-am-a-carer-family-member-or-friend/activities-for-people-with-dementia
- https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/adapting-activities-people-alzheimers-disease
- https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/managing-personality-and-behavior-changes-alzheimers
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2585781/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4404928/#:~:text=Conclusion,may%20even%20provide%20quality%20time.
