Lovely senior life

For seniors: Recommended for day services. Hands-on activities that help prevent dementia.

Social worker / Care workermoko
My name is Moko, a mother of three who admired my mother and worked in the care industry as a care worker and as a medical social worker (MSW) in a hospital. I will be drawing on my previous experience to write mainly about caregiving. Thank you in advance.
Worked as a certified care worker for 17 years.Nanaka
I’ve been working as a certified care worker for 17 years. I’m Nanaka, a caregiving web writer. I decided to pursue this profession because I wanted a job that would help people. Having worked in day care for many years, I’ve experienced a wide variety of recreational activities. Exercise set to music, in particular, always created a cheerful atmosphere and was very well received. I’d be delighted to continue delivering writing that resonates with readers through caregiving-related articles. Thank you for your support.

As we age, our muscle strength declines, making fine, hands-on tasks more difficult.

Because the nerves in our hands are connected to the brain, it’s said that moving our hands can help prevent dementia.

In this article, we introduce hands-on recreational activities for day service programs that train both the fingers and the brain.

With a focus on craft-based activities and finger-use games, they also help improve concentration.

Craft activities let participants enjoy the fun of creating, too.

There are many ideas to choose from, so try starting with the hands-on activities you’re most interested in.

[For Seniors] Recommended for Day Service: Hands-on Activities for Dementia Prevention (51–60)

Brain training exercises of see-not, speak-not, hear-not

Brain-training exercises that spark laughter: recreational activities seniors enjoy, and health exercises.

Brain training exercises of see-not, speak-not, hear-not

Let me introduce a brain-training exercise that moves your body and stimulates your mind: the “see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil” workout.

For “see no evil,” cover your eyes with both hands.

For “hear no evil,” cover your ears with both hands.

For “speak no evil,” cover your mouth with both hands.

When you hear the staff member’s cue, decide which pose it is and move your hands to make that pose.

It can train your reaction speed and thinking skills, and it might even encourage more communication.

Even if you make mistakes, keep it lighthearted—relax and enjoy the exercise!

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Brain-training goods from the 100-yen shop!

[Seated Recreation] “Pinching, finger exercises, and brain training”—all with 100-yen store items

Brain-training goods from the 100-yen shop!

This is a rehabilitation tool that uses a whiteboard and colored magnets, which you can easily get even at 100-yen shops.

Draw lines on the whiteboard and then place magnets at the intersections—simple, right? By removing magnets that are stuck on and arranging them neatly while paying attention to color, you train the ability to judge colors and order as well as fine finger movements.

Try customizing it depending on what you want to strengthen: for example, increase the number of magnets to make the arranging take more time, or use stronger magnets to require more force to remove them.

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Dollar store brain-training puzzle

Brain Activation with 100-Yen Brain-Training Puzzles: Today’s Brain Training for Fall Prevention, Care Prevention, and Dementia Prevention

Dollar store brain-training puzzle

This is a simple puzzle game made by combining wooden sticks and colored stickers.

Place two sticks side by side, lay several stickers across both sticks, and cut each sticker down the middle with a craft knife.

Make several of these stick pairs to complete the puzzle set.

Players then enjoy the game by finding the two sticks whose half-circle sticker halves match perfectly.

You can adjust the difficulty by increasing the number of sticks or the number of stickers applied to each stick, so it’s also recommended to prepare a variety of patterns.

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Stylish ribbon tray

Ribbon tray made from a milk carton

Stylish ribbon tray

A stylish and cute ribbon tray is perfect for keeping track of tiny items that are easy to lose.

This ribbon tray is made using the bottom of a milk carton.

Decide the height, cut off everything except the bottom section, and snip the corners as well.

Then simply cover it with fabric, but since the corners will be tied with ribbons, attach ribbons to the milk carton at the corners.

The key is to glue over them once more from the top so they won’t come loose.

The bottom is softly padded with quilt batting.

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[For Seniors] Recommended for day service. Handicraft activities that help prevent dementia (61–70)

A puzzle where you fit counters (ohajiki) into a frame

[Solo, non-crowded recreation] Supervised by a Recreation Care Worker! Simple indoor handmade game video for seniors: “A puzzle game where you fit marbles (ohajiki) into frames drawn in a notebook.”

A puzzle where you fit counters (ohajiki) into a frame

Group recreation where everyone gets lively together is fun, but taking time to think carefully and enjoy things at your own pace is important too.

This time, we’re introducing a finger dexterity puzzle using ohajiki (small glass game pieces).

Preparation is very simple: get some paper and ohajiki.

Draw circles on the paper about the same size as the ohajiki, and place the pieces around them.

Using your index finger, try to push the ohajiki into the circles.

You can change how it feels a lot by drawing circles slightly larger or smaller than the ohajiki and making a rule that they only count if they fit exactly, or by trying fingers other than the index finger.

Because it also engages spatial awareness, it serves as brain training.

It’s also recommended as a recreation activity in senior care facilities.

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Chopstick Ball-Carrying Game

[100-yen Brain Training] ADL training for eating: “Using chopsticks” movements

Chopstick Ball-Carrying Game

Here’s an introduction to a fingertip game where you use chopsticks to pick up and carry small items.

Games that involve fine finger movements can help stimulate the brain.

They’re also useful for training movements needed in daily life.

What you’ll need is an ice tray for making ice—one that makes small cubes is recommended.

Prepare some craft pom-poms (also called “pompoms”) and a pair of disposable wooden chopsticks.

You can get everything you need at a 100-yen shop, so preparation is easy.

Starting from one end of the ice tray, use the chopsticks to pick up the pom-poms and place them into the compartments.

This action helps train eating-related movements.

Since it’s a seated game, it’s likely to be easy for older adults to try.

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Simple Temari

Make it by wrapping yarn! Adorably round “Easy Temari” / [OT’s Let’s Make It! Vol. 9] (Recreation/Crafts)

Simple Temari

Let’s try making a temari with a soft, colorful look using yarn.

It’s a simple process: roll up old newspaper or other scrap paper into a ball, secure it with cellophane tape, and then wrap yarn around it.

To finish it beautifully, it’s important to shape the paper core into a firm sphere and wrap the yarn thoroughly so the base doesn’t show.

You’re free to combine yarns as you like, so experiment with color choices and wrapping techniques to create your own unique temari.

It’s also important to wrap the yarn tightly so it doesn’t loosen, which will naturally make you pay close attention to the movements and pressure of your fingertips.

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