Any suggestions for activities to do with a parent diagnosed with dementia?

From Alz.org

(copy and paste)

https://www.alz.org/help-support/resources/kids-teens/50-activities

My Mom got into jigsaw puzzles when she was living in a dementia facility. She liked to work on them with me or with one of her aides, or on her own in her room. We also got her into drawing with crayons which she enjoyed. Other ideas are taking a short walk to get fresh air and look at nature, looking at old family photos, or just sitting in a sunny spot together on a warm day. Of course every senior has their own likes & dislikes. Just don't expect those to be the same as when your loved one was younger and didn't have dementia.

Besides watching football games, do something he already enjoys. Use his current interests & do them together. My mom has always (and still enjoys) doing word searches. Best of luck :)

MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC! Get your dad a simple to use iPod shuffle and load his favorite music. It is amazing what music does with dementia patients! You can also load old radio shows, etc. You could play music while you sit with him with some CDs and player -- or maybe he has a stereo record player and collection of vinyl albums? You can also read aloud to your dad. Maybe he would like to go for a ride to some old familiar neighborhoods? Is his childhood home, high school, former workplace, etc. nearby?

follow up...I spent the day shopping..went to the packer gift shop and got lots of games. card matching games, a dice game and a puzzle..We r packers fans, dad went to the famous ice bowl game, before i was born. I stoped at the school house store and got a united states puzzle 50 pieces and another one of the world. with facts associated with each piece. population,flower,motto,song

Dice game looks interesting, score card in first half and second half with 3 dice throws for each play. And a packer bingo game. A packer puzzle.

Dad enjoys watching the news cnn, spectrum1 he loves to read the ticker at bottom of the screen, so its kind of an issue to not present him with things that r too easy. He likes the weather channel too.

I feel prepared for Sunday. Now i know there can be no surprises, so i will call to tell him I picked up some games at the packer atterium. DON'T EVER SURPRISE HIM!! Its kind of learning what he finds easy or difficult. Maybe 1 game a week to drag it out. I saw on web ,there r places that sell adult dimentia puzzles, I need to find out what he likes and doesnt like before going to internet.

Good question, and I also believe that puzzles aren’t necessarily good for elderly patients. Arthritis makes it so hard. I was never a big TV watcher, but as a caregiver I love it. Content can be whatever, something boring is easily switched, and it can be muted or turned off easily when they fall asleep. I particularly get annoyed when gardening is mentioned for a dementia patient, especially if they have arthritis. How? They have to get up and down, forget what they’re doing, and it also seems a risk for falls. There’s nothing wrong with sitting quietly, you know. It is a useful skill.

Audiobooks, like Garrison Keillor & Johnny Dollar

Audiobooks, like Garrison Keillor & Johnny Dollar

Ask about his early childhood and go forward in time. Record them all as an oral history. He likely will be able to recall a lot of it as early history is some of the last to go. Other things like his first job, what he thought about in his late teens, etc.

These memories are a treasure, to him and to you.

baileyif, I don't know why we tend to see elders enjoying doing puzzles in advertisements. For one, their eyesight ages making it harder to see up close, and their dexterity isn't as fine tuned as it was when they were younger.

I got my Dad a bunch of large puzzles without knowing he hated doing jig-saw puzzles. But his caregiver loved them, so while Dad napped and her chores were done, she would pass the time working on the puzzles.

I agree with cwillie, find old movies to watch. Turner Classics is a great start. There are also stations that have old TV shows, such as Perry Mason which has outstanding acting but may be hard for him to follow.... Andy Griffith good for a laugh ..... Bonanza and Rawhide if Dad likes westerns. Such shows are on MeTV and FeTV on standard cable.

It's not as though a dementia diagnosis suddenly makes everyone like puzzles and bingo, it's more that those things are easy and require very little effort for facilities to offer and people are often bored enough to accept any kind of activity.
Since your usual activity is football what about watching a favourite old movie together, one he has seen so often it doesn't matter if he can consistently follow the plot line?