The best games for seniors with dementia
29 May 2024
Playing games with your loved one with dementia is a great, inclusive activity - and they can also help keep their brains active and keep some symptoms and side effects of the condition at bay. Depending on the game, you can challenge your loved one's cognitive ability, memory, and creative expression all while putting a smile on their face. Below you'll discover the top 30 games for seniors with dementia that everyone can enjoy.
How do games help older adults with dementia?
Besides providing hours of entertainment for everyone, playing games can offer numerous social benefits for older adults who have dementia. These benefits can include:
Boosting creativity. Artistic games and activities can bring out your loved one's creative side and allow them to express themselves. Stimulating their brain through creative activities can also make them feel more connected to those around them.
Providing a fun, structured activity. If your loved one is living with dementia, they could benefit from having some structure in their life. Incorporating activities and games daily can provide them with comfort and help avoid confusion.
Reducing cognitive decline. Research has found that games can help those with early or mid-stage dementia with improved cognitive abilities. Participating in activities with your loved one may also keep them active for longer.
Tips for providing a positive game experience for older adults with dementia
When choosing a game to play, it's important to consider your loved one's capabilities in their current stage of dementia. The key to providing a positive game experience is to keep things simple and to have patience. Try to find a game that will provide a small challenge while remaining enjoyable. If a specific game or activity isn't working out, it's okay to change course, too.
Top 30 games for older adults with dementia
1. Bean bag games
2. Cribbage
3. Call to Mind
4. Charades
5. Go
6. Poker
7. War
8. Rummy
9. Checkers
10. Scrabble
11. Snakes and Ladders
12. Jenga
13. Bridge
14. Canasta
15. Memory
16. Azul
17. Sudoku
18. Crossword puzzle
19. Mastermind
20. Lumosity
21. Jigsaw puzzles
22. Block tapping
23. Amazing Chase
24. Bingo
25. Stratego
26. Simon
27. Trivial Pursuit
28. Stare
29. Qwirkle
30. Say Anything
If you're looking for easy games you can enjoy outside, try bean bag games. These games require very little setup and are easy to adapt for different physical abilities. They're a great option that can improve your loved one's motor skills and hand-eye coordination. To play, all you need is a board and a few bean bags filled with sand or rice.
Cribbage is a nostalgic game some older adults may have loved to play as kids. This card game can have as few as two players. It's also easy to score, making it a good option for older adults with memory loss.
Call to Mind is a game designed for people living with dementia to encourage mental stimulation and social connections. This game selects topics of discussion randomly, allowing you to discover new things about your loved one and supporting them as they keep a conversation flowing.
Charades is a great, family-friendly game for all ages. Participants stimulate their minds and move their bodies as they act out different words. You can adapt this game for loved ones with dementia by starting out with simple words or phrases.
Similar to chess, Go is an ancient Chinese board game that relies solely on strategic thinking rather than luck. Older adults, especially ones living with dementia, may enjoy this low-stakes, yet stimulating, game. Plus, you can find versions of this game with magnetized boards, so pieces never get lost.
Poker is a great card game for older adults that promotes social engagement. The game can also benefit your loved one's brain health as it requires quick thinking and movement. Although it's common to play for money in a typical poker game, try playing for beads or candies for a lower-stakes game.
If your loved one is in a later stage of dementia, the card game War is a more simple activity to try together. The rules are straightforward - draw a card from your hand and the highest card gets to collect all the cards drawn. All you need is two to four players and a regular deck of cards. This game is a good option if you're looking for something simple yet fun.
Whether your loved one is a professional Rummy player or is playing for the first time, the chances of them winning are truly 50/50. Rummy is a fun card game that requires a little bit of luck and a little bit of skill - the right balance to engage someone's mind.
If your loved one is in the later stages of dementia or suffers from memory loss, checkers might be a great option for them. You can get a standard board and play, or make the game more physically active and play a life-sized board on a lawn or in a park to enjoy some time outside.
Older adults who have dementia may struggle with their vocabulary. One game that encourages finding and creating words is Scrabble. It's easy to find in stores and can be enjoyed with the entire family.
You've likely heard of Chutes and Ladders before. Snakes and Ladders offers a similar family-fun activity. Instead of using dice, this game uses cards with easy-to-read numbers, which can be easier for older adults with dementia to play.
Jenga is an easy-to-set-up game that you can enjoy with your loved one or together as an entire family. This wooden block game requires you to build a tower using small blocks, then remove each block and stack it one by one. With each block you remove, the tower becomes more unstable, so you'll need to use concentration and coordination for success.
For nearly a century, bridge has been one of the most popular card games for family game nights. To play, all you need is a deck of cards and some friends. This game requires more skill than luck, making it a good challenge to promote cognitive health and give everyone's minds a workout.
Canasta is a card game that's similar to bridge, but many individuals find it to be a bit easier. If your loved one doesn't have a lot of experience with card games or is in a further stage of dementia, this game is a great option.
If you're looking for a game that will help boost your loved one's memory, check out the Memory game. The game requires you to lay tiles face-down, then flip them over one by one until you find a match. Memory can help those who are in the later stages of dementia challenge their minds.
Azul is another tile game, but this one requires a bit more strategic thinking than Memory. This game may be a little trickier to learn at first, so it might be better for someone in the early stages of dementia.
Sudoku is a good option if your loved one lives alone and is looking for a mentally stimulating activity. It can be done online or on paper and is easy to learn yet challenging to complete.
Looking for another individual activity option? Crossword puzzles have you covered. This game will challenge your vocabulary and stimulate your brain, and your loved one can come back to it any time they please. There are many formats out there, including large print for the visually impaired, and themes you can select for your loved one to enjoy.
No matter your age, Mastermind is a classic code-breaking game everyone can enjoy. To become a Mastermind, you must predict the pattern and decipher a code, all while trying to throw your opponent off base.
This online game is a good option if your loved one is looking for a daily activity that will help improve their cognitive performance. Best of all, they can benefit their brain on the go, on their own time.
Instead of opting for a game with your loved one, switch things up and complete a jigsaw puzzle together. Completing puzzles can improve your loved one's memory and problem-solving abilities as they age.
You can create your own memory game with your loved one with just a few blocks or dominoes. To play, tap the blocks in a short sequence, then ask your loved one to repeat it. This game can help them work on their memory throughout all stages of dementia.
Amazing Chase is a hand-held marble maze that is suitable for individuals with visual difficulties and progressing dementia. The game requires the player to move a small ball through a maze until it reaches the finish line. It's a fun activity that can make your loved one feel like they're a kid again.
Bingo is a great game for all ages, especially older adults who have dementia. This game will challenge players' listening skills and cognitive function. It's a great community activity they can play with friends and neighbors. If your loved one has advanced dementia or is visually impaired, there are jumbo cards available for them to use.
Stratego is all about your overall strategy versus individual moves. This game can challenge and boost your loved one's memory, as it will require them to keep track of their moves and make educated guesses to defeat their opponent.
Take your loved one back to their childhood and play a game of Simon with them. This battery-operated game will bring back positive memories and a day filled with fun and laughter.
Older adults can use their knowledge and expertise in this Trivial Pursuit game. To play, individuals will need to recall facts and events that happened in the past to earn points.
If your loved one is in their earlier stages of dementia, they might enjoy and benefit from playing Stare. This game requires quick thinking, so make sure that your loved one is up for a bit of a challenge.
Qwirkle is a bright, fun game that is adaptable for older adults in various stages of dementia. To play, individuals must match colors and shapes. The game comes with many shapes, so if your loved one is in a later stage of dementia, consider removing some of the pieces.
Say Anything is a great game that can get your loved one to socialize with people in your family and community. The game involves finding open-ended questions on cards and writing individual answers on boards. If your loved one struggles to write, you can have a family member help, or everyone can share their answers out loud.
Make meal time easy with Meal Village
Living with dementia can be challenging, especially when it comes to mealtime. If your loved one struggles with memory - or if you're caring for a loved one with dementia and it's difficult for you to cook for yourself - it can be worrisome to ensure that they're getting the right amount of nutrients each day. Meal Village is here to help.
At Meal Village, you can purchase delicious, nutritious meals for your loved one each week that will be delivered right to their door. Plus, there are no subscriptions or commitments - just place an order online or over the phone with the meals you think they'd enjoy. Now, they'll receive the nutrients they need, and you can rest assured knowing they're in good hands.
