January 17, 2018

Puzzles, Artwork and Stuffed Animals, Oh My!

A few of the interactive toys at Cross Creek include: bean bags with windows that allow residents to search for hidden items within and a large scrapbook featuring attached pieces that residents can fiddle with or manipulate, which can be calming for some individuals.

At Cross Creek at Lee’s Summit Assisted Living | Memory Care, we use many different approaches to help engage our residents’ minds. One way in which we do this is through interactive toys and games.

On a walk through the Cross Creek community, one might notice some brightly colored amenities that stand out and catch the eye; these are the many interactive artwork pieces and brain-stimulating objects that help engage the minds of individuals with dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Large fabric books filled with varying textures, toggles and zippers function as coffee table reading, activity and game tables are found in spacious nooks and standard wall artwork is replaced with artwork featuring vibrantly hued moving pieces and puzzles that residents can work with. This interaction with immediate surroundings serves many functions; it can ground an individual with dementia in their current surroundings, stimulate creativity and be cathartic – just as a stress ball or fidget cube may be.

Therapy for those living with memory issues can come in many forms, and games and toys are a unique approach to the changing interests and abilities of someone who is losing their memory. Read more about this type of therapy here.

The residents at Cross Creek have access to activities designed by recreation therapist, Mary Beth, all throughout each day. The interactive artwork and brain teaser games are not designed to replace person-to-person recreation therapy or an active and social lifestyle, but they can serve to inspire creativity and make a home-like environment like Cross Creek even more fun.

To schedule your tour of Cross Creek at Lee’s Summit, call our front desk at 816.607.5700 or contact us online.