Every day is a good day at Among Friends, but holidays call for special celebrations.
On St. Patrick’s Day, everyone is Irish! So, what better thing to do but make some shamrocks?
One of the reasons Among Friends creates these fun activities is simply to enjoy each other’s company. But we are also encouraging social interaction, which is so important for individuals with dementia.
Research shows that socialization for those with dementia is very important for several reasons:
- To gain a greater sense of inclusiveness and belonging. Interacting with others, even if in a passive way, can lead to a greater sense of personal worth and a sense of belonging.
- To improve brain health. Studies show that the more people and contexts individuals with dementia, especially in the early stages, the better. These experiences may even slow down the progression of memory loss.
- To strengthen the connection to time and place. Socialization can give those engaged in interactions with others a normal structure and order in their lives. It stimulates the part of the brain that connects to time and place.
- To enhance and maintain focus. Because older people sometimes have a hard time moving from daydreams to a focused state of mind, mental activity and social engagement make that transition easier which, in turn, helps in daily tasks crucial to a sense of independence (www.anthemmemorycare.com/blog/socialization-for-dementia-care).
Mostly, we just had a lot of fun in celebration of one our favorite holidays. If you know someone who would like to join the fun, have their families give us a call.
a social respite program 