6 Alzheimer's Sensory Activities Reduce Anxiety Without Medication

It’s difficult to stand by and watch your older adult with Alzheimer’s or dementia live with anxiety, agitation, or anger. A good way to calm and soothe without using medication is to use sensory therapy. Sensory therapy is an effective method for reducing anxiety, calming nerves, and providing comfort. Seniors use simple touch-based activities to occupy their hands and minds in safe, soothing ways. We found 6 simple, fun, and inexpensive sensory activities that your older adult will love.

1. DIY aquarium sensory bag BabyFirstTV created a video for their Facebook page showing how to create a quick and easy sensory bag with an aquarium theme. It’s a sealed plastic bag with water beads and ocean animals inside You can easily replace the ocean animals with items that are appealing to your senior, like flowers, sports equipment, or fun characters. Or, check out these additional sensory bag examples for more ideas.

2. Scented sensory cards Smells are a powerful way to trigger memories and emotions. A Little Learning for Two shows us how to create simple scented cards with a winter theme. These are universally comforting scents, but you could also substitute other smells that your senior would associate with positive feelings.

3. Homemade non-toxic finger paint These non-toxic, homemade finger paints are a fun way for your senior to express themselves through art. To keep the mess to a minimum, tape a giant piece of butcher paper to the table and let them paint on that.

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6 Alzheimer's Sensory Activities Reduce Anxiety Without Medication