Meaningful activities for people living with dementia | LifeLoop

Strong memory care is more than a safe environment and skilled clinical support; it involves a daily rhythm of comfort that blends consistent routines with flexibility and person-centered experiences. Within this framework, a thoughtful engagement program can be the spark that helps residents not only feel cared for, but purposeful and fulfilled.

While research on Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia is growing and helping us understand the best forms of engagement, today’s memory care staff rely on practical tools and strategies to meet residents where they are. A diverse activity calendar filled with personalized, evidence-based activities—designed for different abilities—can meet these needs while helping staff work more efficiently.

How activities benefit people living with dementia

Research consistently shows that meaningful engagement supports quality of life for people living with dementia.

Our Principal Researcher, Lydia Nguyen, PhD, presents widely on non-pharmacological approaches that foster connection, capability, and calm. In her session at the March 2025 LeadingAge Georgia Annual Conference, “From Legos® to tech: creatively enhancing dementia engagement,” she highlighted evidence that activities can bolster cognition, reduce isolation, and increase positive social behaviors—especially when technology makes participation easier for residents, families, and staff.

Findings from systematic reviews echo these benefits, including the role everyday technologies can play in laughter, conversation, and shared enjoyment (Sweeney, Clarke, & Wolverson, 2020; Goodall, Taraldsen, & Serrano, 2021).

With these insights in mind, below are practical, evidence-based strategies that help activities staff engage residents living with dementia, so they can feel truly supported and seen.

Person-centered care starts at intake

The most impactful engagement programs are personalized to each individual’s unique interests, values, and abilities. When memory care staff are stretched thin, the right tools can help them capture and incorporate resident interests into their engagement programming.

Streamlining intake makes personalization sustainable: with AI-enhanced onboarding, staff can record or upload resident intake notes (or PDFs from prior histories) and automatically generate a bio that organizes likes, dislikes, and life stories, including details like their favorite memories. People arrive with rich backgrounds; honoring those stories helps residents feel seen and helps staff plan activities that are personalized and truly engaging. In memory care, this usually involves family members' assistance in filling out questionnaires or in-person interviews that tell their loved one’s life story.

When these comprehensive resident profiles connect directly to your calendar software, an AI activity generator can propose tailored ideas and even suggest adaptations based on abilities—saving planning time while ensuring that residents’ needs are met.

Group memory care activities

While group programs can help foster social connection, it can be difficult for staff to cater to each residents’ attention and energy level. Facilitating activities with clear cues, flexible roles, and quick “plan B” options helps staff stay adaptable to unexpected shifts.

Below are ideas for activities that engage residents in groups while allowing staff to remain flexible:

• Music-and-movement circles: Play familiar songs and offer simple percussion tools; residents can hum, tap, or sway while staff guide with a ready-made playlist. Add a “photo prompt” round using large images on a screen or printed cards—invite pointing, thumbs-up, or simple yes/no responses to include residents with aphasia who may be non-verbal.
• Purposeful workstations: A tidy laundry-folding table, a sorting tray for buttons or hardware, or a “mail room” where residents assemble greeting cards. These stations offer calming repetition and a sense of contribution.
• Tabletop gardening + light movement: Repot herbs, arrange seasonal stems, or explore seed pods and leaves. Pair with seated balloon volleyball or parachute waves for light physical engagement that scales up or down with the group’s energy.
• Art and scents: Offer low-setup art like watercolor washes, large-stroke coloring, sponge painting, or sticker collages. Layer in a “scent and memory” segment with safe spice jars or citrus peels and invite residents to choose a favorite scent for the room.

Reminiscence activities 

Reminiscence can help people with dementia by helping them to access long-term memories, and provide an outlet for expression by reconnecting them with past experiences. Activities that incorporate personal items, nostalgic media, and family stories can help bring these memories to life. Some ideas for reminiscence activities include:

• Life story boxes: Invite residents and family members to bring in objects from workdays, hobbies, or faith traditions. Facilitate a sharing circle where they take turns sharing about the item they brought.
• Musical decades hour: Play 1950s–1970s favorites that support gentle chair-dancing, alongside a “name that tune” game.
• Memory-lane tastings: Pair small bites tied to regional favorites or family recipes with brief reflections and conversation.
• Work-and-hobbies table: Familiar motions such as safe polishing, button cards, or yarn winding offer soothing, purposeful action.
• Reminiscence bingo: Use personalized image cards in the place of numbers; play a vintage radio channel for background music.
• Spiritual reminiscence: Play meaningful hymns or readings and create space for quiet reflection.

Cognitively stimulating activities

Cognitively stimulating activities can help residents maintain brain capacity and plasticity, potentially acting as an effective non-pharmocological approach to delaying dementia progression. Many of the ideas below can be enhanced with clinically-backed engagement content pulled from a digital content library, helping staff save time planning and quickly adapt during activities.

Some ideas for cognitively stimulating memory care activities include:

• Sorting and matching: Use categories (e.g., fruits vs. tools) and picture-word matching to provide clear visual structure.
• Sequencing cards: Guide residents through everyday task sequences to encourage step-by-step reasoning and confidence.
• Spot the difference: Display large-screen images to support group observation and gentle problem-solving.
• Reveal-the-word: Present oversized letters to enable gestured guesses or pointing once a word is recognized.
• Visual “I spy” tray: Arrange themed trays to invite item identification and turn-taking; offer a picture-based “which do you prefer?” version to enable fully non-verbal participation for residents with aphasia.
• Counting and tactile sets: Provide beads or shells to support counting, sorting, and fine-motor focus.
• Large-piece puzzles: Offer simple jigsaws to create achievable cognitive challenge and shared success.
• Rhythm copy: Lead clap-clap-pause patterns to model attention and sequencing without heavy language demands.

Therapeutic activities

Technology doesn’t replace proven therapies; it amplifies them. Below are ideas for dementia-friendly activities that provide soothing and comfort:

• Sensory cooking: Prepare no-bake cookies or churn butter in a jar to blend light motor activity with familiar smells and tastes.
• Hand spa with aromatherapy: Apply warm towels and light hand massage to pair tactile comfort with calming scents.
• Tactile art: Shape clay or play-dough for grounding; arrange simple flower designs or collages to encourage creative flow.
• Companion visits: Welcome therapy animals or use robotic pets to provide predictable, engaging interaction.
• Seated tai chi and breath-and-stretch: Guide slow movements and paced breathing to pair gentle exercise with nature sounds.
• Sensory bins: Offer smooth stones, lavender sachets, or fabric swatches to support texture exploration and preference-finding.

Meaningful engagement, better outcomes

While our understanding of dementia and effective care methods are ever-evolving, one thing remains constant: the value of human connection. With thoughtful personalization, adaptable group formats, and evidence-informed approaches, memory care teams can deliver engaging experiences, while gaining back time that they can dedicate to meaningful resident interactions.