Living with dementia is very difficult. And while there is not a cure for dementia, there are activities that memory care facilities can implement into their programming that will improve the resident’s memories, emotions and social interactions. In this blog post, I will talk about how writing is a great activity for people with dementia.
Writing is cognitively stimulating, and it is important for dementia patients to engage in brain activities. By engaging in brain activities, they will increase their production of nerve cell connections, which will help block cognitive decline.
Writing increases self-esteem in patients living with dementia and provides them with a sense of purpose and accomplishment. Having a sense of purpose is important for the senior’s well-being. This is especially important for people living with dementia as they are dependent upon others. As stated by New Life Styles: “According to a recent psychological study, suffering from dementia may cause the patients to lose confidence in themselves and their abilities thereby resulting in a huge blow to their self-esteem. Dementia patients tend not to trust their own judgment as they feel they are no longer in control.”
Writing can help the patient understand themselves better. It is a way for them to spell out their feelings, fears, and memories. Writing is a way for the dementia patient to write about what they cannot say when speaking.
Journaling can be associated with memory improvement. Writing about past experiences and events can help them with their memory recall and strengthen memory neural pathways. It can also help strengthen their mental health. It can be a great way to write about past traumas that affected their well-being and can help them cope with that stress. It can help a memory care patient let go of some of the images that have been holding them back in life, because it was a stressful experience.
While living with dementia is difficult, living in a senior living facility with a memory care program creates opportunities to engage in one on one and group brain activities that will keep them engaged and will stimulate their memory. It is important for dementia patients to engage in brain activities and writing is one of them. Writing gives them a sense of purpose, they become better advocates for themselves, and it can help them understand themselves better. Additionally, writing is associated with memory improvement and can strengthen memory neural pathways.
