Free Printable Activities for Dementia Patients (PDF Pack)

All four files have the same 12 pages. Pick the paper size you use: US Letter in the US and Canada, A4 almost everywhere else. The black-and-white edition saves ink; the matching cards still work because every shape is different.

• Dementia Activity Pack, color, US Letter (PDF, 12 pages)
• Dementia Activity Pack, black and white, US Letter (PDF, 12 pages)
• Dementia Activity Pack, color, A4 (PDF, 12 pages)
• Dementia Activity Pack, black and white, A4 (PDF, 12 pages)

You do not need to print the whole pack. Pick the pages you want in the print window (for example, pages 3 to 5 for the sorting and matching cards).

• Page 1 — Cover.
• Page 2 — Before you start: how to set up, how much to help, and when to stop.
• Pages 3 and 4 — Sorting cards: 12 word cards per page to sort into two piles, fruit and vegetables, then things to wear and things in the kitchen.
• Page 5 — Matching pairs: 12 cards with six bold shapes, two of each.
• Page 6 — Opposites: draw a line from each word to its opposite.
• Page 7 — Odd one out: eight rows of four words; circle the one that does not belong.
• Page 8 — Conversation cards: 12 gentle questions about work, food, home, friends and the things they are proud of.
• Pages 9 and 10 — Coloring pages: a round pattern and a pot of flowers, with thick lines and big shapes.
• Page 11 — Activity tracker: what you did, for how long, and whether they enjoyed it.
• Page 12 — Answers.

The activities work best as something you do together, not a task handed over. A few things help:

1. 1

   Pick one activity, not the whole pack

   and lay it out on a clear table with good light and the TV off.

2. 2

   Show how it works first

   by sorting one card or matching one pair yourself, then hand it over.

3. 3

   Help as much as needed

   Doing it together counts as doing it. Accept any answer that makes sense to them.

4. 4

   Stop while it is still enjoyable

   Ten good minutes are worth more than forty tiring ones. Try again another day.

5. 5

   Note what they enjoyed

   on the tracker page, so you can do more of what works and share it with other carers.

Everyone is different, and the same person can have good and bad days, so treat this as a starting point:

• Early stage: the odd-one-out and opposites pages, the dementia worksheets and a large print word search are often a comfortable level.
• Middle stage: sorting cards, matching pairs with the cards face up, and the coloring pages. Keep choices to two piles and a few cards at a time.
• Any stage: the conversation cards. Listening to the story matters more than the answer.

If an activity causes frustration, switch to something easier or simply sit and talk. For more ideas beyond paper, see our guide to activities for seniors with dementia at home.