If your father or grandfather has Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, it is especially important to spend quality time with him, particularly in familiar settings. Many people may find it difficult to think of activities that they can still do with their loved ones with Alzheimer’s, but sometimes more is possible than it might seem at first.
We have several products related to caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, but one of our product categories especially useful for spending quality time is our playing cards and playing card aids.
Many people around the age of our parents and grandparents grew up playing with the classic 52-card deck. Playing cards with your father will likely be an activity he is familiar and comfortable with, and it will remind him of good memories.
Plus, research shows that playing cards stimulates the mind in a healthy way that may help Alzheimer’s patients or people at risk for Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. According to a DailyMail.com article from 2014, the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute and the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center conducted a study on 329 people at the average age of 60 with a high risk for Alzheimer’s. The results of the study showed that the participants who played cards had overall more brain volume and better cognitive abilities than those who did not play cards.
Large print playing cards
To help facilitate your loved one’s ability to play cards, one helpful product is our Low Vision Playing Cards Poker Size. The extra-large icons on these cards measure 1 and 1/2 inches high and 1 inch wide. If your father has Alzheimer’s or dementia, the added stress of not being able to see the card clearly can lead to even greater confusion and disorientation. The extra large print cards help to mitigate that issue.
Card holder
Yet another stress to playing cards that only adds to problems from Alzheimer’s is the difficulty many people may have of holding cards, especially if they have arthritis or conditions that cause muscle weakness. To counteract this issue, consider the Hands Free Card Holders, which come in a pack of two.
Draw cards more easily
Finally, the Standard Playing Card Tray will help your father be able to draw cards from a draw pile more independently. For people with limited hand control or hand-eye orientation, picking up a card off the deck can be challenging and can result in the deck being scattered or having to spend a lot of time getting a single card to separate from the deck. The Standard Playing Card Tray helps glide an individual card off the deck with ease.
We wish all father’s and their families a Happy Father’s Day and many more good years and memories to come.
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