These 70 engaging activities will stimulate the minds, memories, and senses of older adults. Designed especially for individuals with early memory loss, the short, one-page worksheets strengthen brain functioning, promote social interaction, and provide hours of meaningful enjoyment.
Developed by two adult day service professionals and field-tested with individuals with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, the activities feature trivia, reminiscence, and sensory stimulation. Matching, fill-in-the-blank, and brainstorming worksheets allow older adults to test their memory and gain new knowledge on a wide variety of topics, including
- advertising slogans
- popular culture of former decades
- heroes and heroines
- famous movies
- national landmarks
- and much more
Strengthen Your Mind can be used independently by older adults with memory loss or by activity staff and group leaders for discussion and programming ideas. Tips for engagement and an answer key are included for each activity.
Get this innovative book and provide older adults with leisure activities, learning experiences, and valuable brain exercise all at once.
Foreword, by Joanne Koenig Coste
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Sensory Activities
- Slogans that Deal with Sound
- Things You Hear Outside
- Hearing and Emotions
- Things with a Strong Smell
- Identification of Items by Smell
- Description of Smells
- Slogans that Deal with Taste
- Identification of Items by Taste
- Taste Trivia
- Slogans that Deal with Touch
- Identification of Items by Touch
- Description of Items by Touch
- Slogans that Deal with Vision
- The Art of Observation
- Vision and Memory
- Grocery Store Scavenger Hunt
- Tying It All Together
- An Imaginary Journey of Your Senses
A-to-Z Worksheets
- Addresses, Streets, Highways, and Bridges
- All About Automobiles
- Beverages Throughout History
- Books, Magazines, and Authors
- Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate
- Currencies from Around the World
- Desserts of Different Cultures
- Dressing and Condiments
- E.T. Phone Home—Famous Movie Lines
- The Eyes Have It
- Famous Families
- Found in Fours
- Games of Childhood
- Gardens and Parks
- Hairstyles of the Decades
- Heroes and Heroines
- I Scream, You Scream
- Indian, Italian, French, and Other Regional Foods
- Jiminy Cricket and Other Fictional Characters
- Joie de Vivre = Enjoyment of Life: Common Foreign Words and Phrases
- Keys to Everything
- Kiss a Toad and Other Superstitions
- Lakes, Rivers, and Other Bodies of Water
- License Plates of the United States
- Measurements
- Mountains and Deserts of the World
- National Parks and Other U.S. Landmarks
- Nicknames of the Famous and Infamous
- Occupations of Famous People
- Occupations Throughout the Ages
- Personalities in Advertising
- Pets of Fame
- Queens, Kings, and Other Royalty
- Quotes that Made History
- Radio’s Golden Years
- Red, White, and Blue
- Spectrum of Color
- Stars of the Universe
- Television Quotes—Famous Lines of Famous Stars
- Time and Time Again
- Underground Life
- U.S. Cities and Their Nicknames
- Vacation Destinations
- Vegetables and Fruits
- The Wild West
- World Continents and Countries
- Xmas and Other Abbreviations
- X-tremes of the World
- Yo-Yos and Other Childhood Toys
- Yurts, Igloos, and Other Types of Shelters
- Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah and Other Lines from Famous Songs
- Zoos and Zoo Animals
Kristin Einberger has worked in the aging field for 35 years and has developed programs on Alzheimer’s respite, early memory loss, and brain fitness, among others. Currently she facilitates a number of brain fitness classes in a variety of settings and also facilitates various caregiver support groups. She is the co-author of a number of books dealing with early memory loss, including four published by Health Professions Press, two of which were recognized with Mature Media Awards. She has been a speaker at conferences nationwide, including American Society on Aging, National Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, and the Brookdale Foundation. Her passion is to assist those with early memory loss in leading fulfilling lives in the most cognitively fit way possible.
Janelle Sellick, M.S., RTC/CTRS, has worked with people with cognitive impairment for the past 10 years, and specifically with people with early memory loss for the past 4 years. She developed and facilitated two social/educational programs for people with early memory loss and has also developed educational classes for caregivers.
In addition, she has taught numerous memory enhancement classes and seminars to independent seniors. Together with Kristin Einberger, she founded Memory Enhancement Services, a consulting service for people with early memory loss as well as for professionals and families.
Janelle has presented at many local, state, and national conferences, including the Alzheimer’s Association, the California Park and Recreation Society, the Brookdale Foundation, and the American Therapeutic Recreation Association. She is the author of many newsletter and magazine articles on memory loss and the author of the book Traditions: Improving Quality of Life in Caregiving. Most recently, she has partnered with Kristin Einberger to author a technical manual for the Brookdale Foundation on Creating an Early Memory Loss Program.
admin –
“This book is truly fabulous. It will be one that won’t get lost on your bookshelf or collect dust.”
–Creative Forecasting
admin –
“The mentally stimulating activity sheets are useful, enjoyable, and focus on generating a sense of success and self-worth … I would recommend this book to healthcare professionals who work with persons with early memory loss, their family members, or older adults themselves.”
–Kathleen Buckwalker, Ph.D., R.N., Interfaith Voice newsletter
admin –
“Offering a treasure trove of interesting, informative, and enjoyable material, the book builds upon the growing emphasis in the dementia care field to recognize the capabilities of people with memory loss, and find ways to enhance them.”
–Robyn Yale, L.C.S.W., Clinical Social Worker & Early Stage Alzheimer’s Consultant
admin –
“This is one of the most straightforward, useful and enjoyable resources I have seen for those who want to take a proactive approach to enhancing memory and for those of us that want unique ideas on how to provide this opportunity for individuals with early memory loss.”
–Judy Filippoff, M.S.W., Early Stage Program Coordinator, Alzheimer’s Association, Northern California and Northern Nevada
admin –
“Accolades to Kristin Einberger and Janelle Sellick for researching and penning this wonderful exploration of remaining memories … Every family should have a copy of Strengthen Your Mind and all community-based programs (assisted living, adult day health, long-term care and others) should use this marvelous tome in daily programming”
–Joanne Koening-Coste, from the foreword
admin –
“Strengthen Your Mind is first and foremost a handy book of more than 70 ready-made exercises on a broad variety of topics that should be widely appealing and not just to those who have early memory loss … [the] activities take us back in time [and] … provide endless opportunities for reminiscence and tangential discussion.”
–Kathy Laurenhue, Wiser Now, Inc.
admin –
“I was very impressed and would highly recommend this book for anyone who lives or works with individuals who have early memory loss. I know they will find it invaluable!”
–Leanne Martinsen, Executive Director, Area Agency on Aging serving Napa and Solano, CA