You sit down with your mother and run out of things to say eleven minutes in, and there are still two hours left.
This workbook is for families caring for a parent with dementia, written by Esther C. Kane, CAPS, C.D.S., a retired occupational therapist and CARES Dementia Specialist, and it shows you how to reach her through touch, sound, scent, taste and sight when words no longer work.
Inside the workbook, readers will find:
- How to use the workbook and what it is not
- What dementia takes early and what it leaves
- The five rules that make any activity work
- A ten-minute observation to learn her patterns
- Her life inventory sheet to fill in
- A sensory profile worksheet for the whole family
- The five-minute hand massage, step by step
- Fidget quilts, fabric boards and weighted throws
- Matching the object to her hand motion
- Building a music playlist from the right decade
- What to change when music makes things worse
- Where to find scents, and how to offer them
- Scent safety and essential oil cautions
- When taste is safe to use, and swallowing warnings
- The 3:45 routine for late-afternoon restlessness
- Lighting and room-by-room setup
- 56 sensory games, tagged early, middle and late
- Eleven hands and touch games
- Eleven sound and music games
- Eight scent and taste games
- Ten looking, sorting and remembering games
- Eight moving and outdoor games
- Eight games with grandchildren and groups
- A troubleshooting table for when nothing works
- What still comforts in late stage
- Support and footing for you, the caregiver
- Shopping lists by price, including free options
- A fourteen-day tracker
- A care-team conversation sheet for doctor visits
This workbook is general information for planning purposes and is not a substitute for advice from a licensed professional. Questions about her medications, swallowing, pain, or any sudden change belong to her physician, pharmacist, occupational therapist, or speech-language pathologist.
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Important Disclaimer: The Sensory Toolkit is general educational information for planning purposes only. It is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it does not replace the judgment of a physician, pharmacist, occupational therapist, speech-language pathologist, or other qualified professional who knows your parent. Nothing in it diagnoses anything, treats dementia, or slows the disease. Questions about medication, dosage, interactions, or timing belong to her prescriber or pharmacist. Before using any taste or food activity, confirm with her medical team that swallowing is safe and follow any modified or thickened diet exactly. Ask her doctor before using essential oils or a diffuser, before using a weighted blanket, and before any activity involving her hands, joints, balance, or mobility. A sudden change in alertness, confusion, or behavior is medical until proven otherwise and needs same-day attention. In an emergency, call 911. Legal and financial questions belong to an elder law attorney.
