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Problem solving and critical thinking are at the top of the list when it comes to skills for young people to master. For individuals with learning, cognitive and social differences, developing these skills isn’t only beneficial, it can be transformative. Critical thinking and problem-solving activities provide unique
opportunities for growth, enabling individuals to navigate challenges, gain independence, and foster social connections.

Play With Purpose
Engaging in critical thinking and problem-solving activities cultivates cognitive growth and enhances intellectual abilities for young people with learning differences. These activities encourage individuals to analyze, evaluate, and apply information, strengthening their reasoning and decision-making skills. By
actively seeking solutions, young people become more adept at processing complex information, identifying patterns, and thinking creatively. Engaging in critical thinking and problem-solving activities fosters self-reflection, enabling young people to understand their own cognitive processes and develop
effective learning strategies. This heightened cognitive engagement not only boosts academic performance but also empowers individuals to approach challenges with confidence.

Enhancing Social Skills
For young people with social differences, critical thinking and problem-solving activities offer valuable opportunities to develop and refine social skills. Collaborative problem-solving activities, such as group projects or team-based challenges, foster communication, cooperation, and conflict resolution. Through
these experiences, young people learn to listen to others, consider multiple perspectives, and work collectively towards a shared goal. These activities also provide a safe and structured environment for individuals to practice social interactions, build relationships, and develop empathy. As young people
engage in critical thinking and problem-solving tasks together, they learn to appreciate the diverse strengths and contributions of their peers, nurturing a sense of belonging and fostering social connections.

Empowering Independence
One of the most significant benefits of critical thinking and problem-solving activities for young people with learning, cognitive, and social differences is the cultivation of independence and resilience. As individuals navigate complex problems and find innovative solutions, they develop a sense of agency and
self-efficacy. The process of grappling with challenges instills a growth mindset, encouraging individuals to embrace mistakes as learning opportunities and persevere in the face of setbacks. By building problem-solving skills, young people gain confidence in their ability to overcome obstacles and adapt to new
situations. This newfound independence and resilience have far-reaching effects, empowering individuals to navigate various aspects of life, from academics and employment to personal relationships and everyday tasks. Critical thinking and problem-solving activities are invaluable tools for all of us, but specifically for individuals with learning, cognitive, and social differences. Which is why critical thinking and problem-solving are built into our products. Our evidence-based activities facilitate learning opportunities that help educators, therapists, and families connect. Bring the fun to family time or your next therapy session with
Connectivities.

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Yoga, mindfulness, running, journaling—we all have ways to care for our well-being. While traditional practices such as exercise and mindfulness are widely known, we often overlook the benefits of fun and creativity. Engaging in activities that bring joy and spark our imagination not only provide temporary relief from stress but also offer a wealth of long-term benefits for our mental health.

The Healing Power of Fun
Fun has a remarkable ability to rejuvenate our spirits and provide an escape from the pressures of daily life. Engaging in enjoyable activities triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural feel-good chemicals, promoting a sense of happiness and relaxation. Whether it's playing a sport, engaging in a
hobby, or spending quality time with loved ones, enjoyable activities help reduce stress, improve mood, and increase resilience. Laughter, a vital component of fun, has been scientifically proven to release tension, boost the immune
system, and even alleviate pain. By incorporating regular doses of fun into our routines, we create a positive cycle that nurtures our mental well-being, fostering a greater sense of joy and fulfillment in our lives.

Unleash Your Creativity
When we engage in creative pursuits such as painting, writing, or playing a musical instrument, we tap into a deep well of self-expression and imagination. This process not only stimulates the brain but also allows us to channel our emotions and thoughts in constructive ways. In some cases, engaging in creative
activities has also shown a reduction in anxiety and depression, improved cognitive function, and increased self-esteem. The act of creation itself can be cathartic, providing an outlet for emotions and enabling us to make sense of the world around us. By embracing our creativity, we unlock a powerful tool
that enhances our mental well-being and nurtures personal growth. From reducing stress and boosting mood to enhancing cognitive function, the benefits of fun and
creativity are undeniable. Which is why fun and creativity are built into our products.

Our evidence-based activities facilitate fun, creative learning opportunities that help educators, therapists, and families connect. Bring the fun to family time or your next therapy session with Connectivities.

Let’s connect! Share your email to get information on new products and the latest insights.

In today's fast-paced, technology-driven world, concerns about the decline in social skills among children have grown. The ability to navigate social interactions,
communicate effectively, and collaborate with others is crucial for success in personal relationships, academic pursuits, and future careers. One effective way to foster the development of these essential social skills is through hands-on activities. In this blog post, we will explore the importance of social skills and delve into how hands-on activities can play a pivotal role in nurturing and enhancing these skills in children.

Social skills encompass a range of abilities that enable individuals to interact
harmoniously with others. These skills include effective communication, active listening, empathy, cooperation, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. Strong social skills not only enhance personal relationships but also contribute to academic achievement and future professional success. Research suggests that individuals with well-developed social skills tend to have higher levels of self-esteem, increased peer acceptance, and better mental health outcomes.

Hands-on activities provide a dynamic and engaging platform for children to learn and practice social skills. Here's how these activities can help in the development of social skills:
1. Collaboration and Cooperation: Engaging in hands-on activities requires children to work together towards a common goal. Whether building a tower with blocks, conducting a science experiment, or creating artwork, children learn the value of collaboration, cooperation, and teamwork. Through these activities, they develop an understanding of the importance of listening to others, sharing ideas, and compromising, fostering a sense of collective accomplishment.
2. Communication and Active Listening: Hands-on activities provide opportunities
for children to express their thoughts, ideas, and questions, improving their
communication skills. Additionally, participating in group tasks encourages active
listening as children need to understand instructions, follow directions, and
respond appropriately. These activities enhance both verbal and nonverbal
communication, promoting effective interaction with peers and adults.
3. Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking: Hands-on activities often involve
challenges that require problem-solving and critical thinking. As children work
together to overcome obstacles, they learn to analyze situations, generate ideas,
evaluate alternatives, and make decisions collectively. These experiences
promote independent thinking, creativity, and resilience, nurturing essential skills
for social problem-solving in real-life scenarios.
4. Empathy and Perspective-Taking: By engaging in hands-on activities, children
develop empathy and perspective-taking skills. They learn to consider the
thoughts, feelings, and perspectives of others, fostering a deeper understanding
of diverse viewpoints. This empathy-building aspect of hands-on activities
encourages compassion, tolerance, and respect, leading to more harmonious
social interactions.
5. Emotional Regulation and Resilience: Hands-on activities provide a safe space
for children to experience and manage a range of emotions. From the joy of
success to the frustration of setbacks, children learn to regulate their emotions,
cope with challenges, and adapt to different situations. This emotional resilience
helps them navigate social interactions effectively, respond appropriately to
conflicts, and maintain positive relationships.
6. Conflict Resolution: During hands-on activities, conflicts or disagreements may
arise. These situations offer valuable opportunities for children to practice conflict
resolution skills. Through negotiation, compromise, active listening, and finding
mutually satisfactory solutions, children develop the ability to resolve conflicts
peacefully. This skill set equips them with invaluable tools for managing
interpersonal challenges throughout their lives.

In a world that increasingly relies on digital communication, the importance of social skills cannot be overstated. Hands-on activities serve as a powerful catalyst for the development of these skills, allowing children to collaborate, communicate, problem-solve, empathize, regulate emotions, and resolve conflicts. By incorporating hands-on activities into educational and recreational settings, parents, educators, and caregivers can provide children with valuable
opportunities!

I wanted to take a minute to tell you more about who Connectivities is right for. It may seem weird that we have a line of resources for Seniors as well as Diverse Learners, but you may be surprised at how much overlap there is with these two populations! Most of our work with Seniors is with people living
with dementia, another form of cognitive decline, or recovery from a stroke. Our work with Diverse Learners is focused on people ages 10+ who have learning, cognitive or social differences, but Connectivities activities are just plain fun really for anyone ages 7 and up.

Here, we are going to focus a bit more on how families with children ages 7 and up can benefit from Connectivities. As many of you are likely aware, there are two significant findings around loneliness, and connections with others that have been in the news a lot lately. First, the U.S. Surgeon General has recently declared isolation and loneliness as an epidemic in the U.S. Because of increased use of
technology, overuse of screens, changing family dynamics, and deep divides in beliefs we are becoming lonelier and more isolated. This has lead to a lagging in the development of critical social skills in our youth. The second major finding is that loneliness and isolation can cause a significant increase in our
risk for many health conditions such as heart disease, stroke and dementia.

One of the top recommendations to remedy this is to focus on cultivating a culture of connection! Bingo! That is what Connectivities is here to do! The activities naturally lend themselves to working together to solve problems, sharing opinions, and being creative. They set the stage for some serious connecting between whoever is working on them together! Whether you have a multigenerational
setting or between siblings we have worked hard to curate and create activities that have a little something for everyone.

As a Co-Founder and the leader of the team here at Connectivities, our mission is to create a culture of connection through fun, purposeful activities. The resources that come with each of our activities help you connect and then accomplish so much more! We hope you take the time to check out our wide selection of activities. We are adding new activities each week, so visit regularly to see what’s new! Every day we learn more and more that our tag line is so true! Life is Better When We Connect!!!

Mandy Shoemaker
Co-Founder of Connectivities

Connection and relationships are important for happiness and well-being for all of us. The longest study of happiness in the world, The Harvard Happiness Study, has found that it is the quality of the relationships that people have that determine happiness and quality of life. We may write off people living with dementia when it comes to connection. It might be easy to assume that because they will
forget the interaction, that they will also forget the feeling. But studies show, and from our experience, even though a memory may fade quickly, feelings do remain for people living with dementia. Studies show that when caregiver and care recipient connect, they both show benefits!

For some who are experiencing loss in their relationship, connecting with their loved one can feel hard and sad. It is important to acknowledge that those living with dementia change and the ways they are able to connect with others changes with them. If we can look at this not from a perspective of loss, but one of gain, it might become easier. For example, if we approach these new types of connections as ways for us to have positive memories of this time during our loved one’s life, we may have a whole new gusto for connecting! Because we care for people living with dementia, we have had the opportunity to attend a good number of funerals of people who died living with dementia. One of my favorites was a celebration of the life of a highly regarded community member who actually served 12 years in Congress and 12 years as our county District Attorney prior to that. The celebration of his life honored not only all that he achieved during his influential life, but equally honored the years he lived with dementia. Life
does not stop with a diagnosis, but we often treat it that way.

Connecting becomes significantly easier when we let go of our expectations. Expectations for how our loved one should be able to connect and what they used to enjoy doing can really set us up for disaster. Instead, if we let go of our own needs in the connection, and focus on our loved one’s needs we might
have more success! For example, instead of hoping that your loved one is going to remember a memory you bring up, share that memory with them and tell them the role they played in it and why it is important to you. Instead of assuming that your dad won’t like an activity, ask him if he will help you. He probably would love to feel helpful, and it doesn’t really matter what he is helping with. It is all
about how you set it up. So ask him to help you hold a cup while you pour something into it, or help build a silly craft, and then tell him how helpful he is and how much you appreciate him. Then you can reminisce with him about other things he used to help with. All of these things fill his cup……and when
he feels good and connected, you will too!

For our own loved ones, and also sometimes for people we don’t know as well, connecting over things that are fun and spontaneous can be so fun for everyone. You have probably seen viral videos of older people dancing. Who doesn’t love a spontaneous dance party? Although it is a terrible disease, sometimes dementia comes with the gift of no filter. What I mean by this is that the person may be less
inhibited, they may also be quicker to join in, laugh or smile. We do acknowledge that not everyone loves to or is able to dance. So other things work too…..wearing a funny hat, singing a fun song, or doing an activity that has an element of surprise or humor……like the pie in the face game when you never
know if the pie is going to smash into your face, or the game where you put the thing in your mouth that shows all your teeth and you have to try to say something? This is CONNECTION!!! Lighthearted, fun connection that makes everyone feel good!

End stage dementia can leave us with an emptiness and lack of having any clue what to do. We agree this is hard, but again, we have to shift our expectations. Connections at this stage is in the small things. It is in holding hands and physical touch. Maybe it is a taste of a favorite sweet treat, or listening to a favorite hymn. This final stage of the dementia journey is referred to as the Pearl state by renowned dementia educator, Teepa Snow. Pearls are often closed off and hidden beneath the changes to their ability to communicate. But there is beauty inside and if we are lucky, we will be able to access it.

Although you don’t need Connectivities to find amazing ways to connect with your loved one, we know there is so much more on your plate. We have taken the guesswork out of it and carefully pulled together activities that have been trialed with both men and women at all stages of dementia (we do trial with people in the Pearl state but understand that can be very difficult). All of the materials are
right there, and we offer suggestions for connecting, modifying and even include therapy goals that highlight the good you are doing with each activity. To learn more about how we can take some of the hard work off your plate check us out at www.connectivities.us.

Dementia and Alzheimer's disease can be difficult for both the person with the condition and their caregivers. As caregivers ourselves, we know how important it is for you to do everything you can to make sure your loved one is comfortable and safe. Here are some tips on how to be the best dementia or Alzheimer's caregiver you can be.

Communication Is Key

One of the most important things you can do as a dementia or Alzheimer's caregiver is to communicate clearly and effectively with your loved one. Make sure to speak slowly and clearly, using short, simple sentences. Your loved one will need time to process anything you are telling them or asking them to do.

Approach is everything! Your body language and tone may tell your loved one as much the actual words you are saying. Try to maintain eye contact and use facial expressions and gestures to help communicate your message. If your loved one is having difficulty communicating, try to find alternative ways to communicate, such as writing down your conversations, using pictures, or even sign language. Breaks are always good too. If they aren’t getting it, leave it, and come back to the conversation in a few minutes.

You cannot reason with someone living with dementia. There is no convincing them that you are right. So figure out a way to help them feel validated. Sometimes just repeating back to them what they are saying helps them feel heard, and then they may be ready to hear/process what you have to say.

Be Patient and Understanding

Dementia and Alzheimer's can be frustrating for both caregivers and people living with the disease. It is important to be patient and understand that your loved one may not be able to do things the way they used to. Your person is changing and you are both experiencing grief and loss. Expect that things will usually not go as planned, and be prepared to go with the flow.

Try not to get angry or frustrated if things don't go according to plan. Instead, take a deep breath and try again. Sometimes less is more. Give you and your person a break. Always remember that your person isn’t giving you are hard time, they are having a hard time.

Create a Caregiver Support System

Sometimes the hardest thing is asking for help. Caring for a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer's can be overwhelming, so it is important to create a support system of family and friends who can help out when needed. Delegate tasks among family members and friends so that no one person feels overwhelmed. It is also important to take time for yourself so that you don't become burned out.

Remember, people WANT to help. When friends and family are watching you struggle, they wonder what they can do to help. Invite them to come do some activities with your person, have them take your person out to lunch or coffee. If it works better to have them stay at the house, that is a great option too.

Make sure to schedule regular breaks throughout the day so that you can take a break from caregiving duties. Needing a break doesn’t make you a bad caregiver. You can’t pour from an empty vessel, so do what you need to keep your cup at least a little full. Lastly, don't hesitate to reach out to professional organizations or respite care services if you need additional help or support. At Connectivities, we’ve created our own community of support full of people going through these exact experiences. Click here to join!

All in all, we know that caring for a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer's can be challenging, but it is also immensely rewarding. By following these tips, you can be the best caregiver you can be for your loved one.

A common challenge we hear from families caring for loved ones with dementia is that they can’t get them to do anything other than watch TV. In our experience, this situation really comes down to the person wanting to maintain control.

If the person says no to every suggestion, there is no risk involved, even though they might actually enjoy doing something else. It is hard to lure them away from what is safe and known, even if we know that safe and known thing isn’t good for them.

Here are some ways to help your person feel safe and in control, and move them into an alternate activity:

1. Make sure all physical needs are met: bathroom, food, water, pain, etc. (Turn off TV while doing these things)
2. Turn on music that they like. Sing along, dance, be a distraction.
3. Have an activity ready to go. Be familiar with the activity and have a plan. For example, if you are going to play Uno, have the cards dealt, and know how you will respond if they play incorrectly (let them play however they want). If you are using Connectivities, the instructional videos are a super helpful way to be prepared! Having the written instructions handy is helpful too.
4. Make it a problem to solve, a favor, or something you need help with.
   1. I was just about to start a game of Uno, would you do me a huge favor and play with me?
   2. Our grandson has a project he needs help with and I told him we would get started, will you sit over here with me and help me figure it out?
   3. I need an extra hand over here….can you cut this for me? Or can you hold this while I do this?
5. Start small. Just having them sit by you and watch you do something gets their brains going more than TV. Baby steps are OK!
6. When you plan to do something together, let go of your expectations. We know that this is easier said than done, but if you let go of your expectations, anything that happens will be OK!
7. Keep in mind that your loved one may be open to doing things that they wouldn’t have been open to before. Just because something feels to you like something they wouldn’t like or wouldn’t have lived in the past doesn’t mean that they can’t get some satisfaction out of it now.

Every person needs to participate in a variety of activities. Things that give them a feeling of purpose, fun, relaxation and more.

As a care partner, when you are open to the unknown, and let go of expectations, you may feel less overwhelmed and even more positive about the way you are caring for your loved one.

Every human wants to feel connected to the people around them and it’s no different for someone living with dementia. Connections can become difficult to make as the person living with dementia changes and their disease progresses. Even brief moments of connection can play a significant role in how the rest of the day goes for both the person living with dementia and their care partner.

I recently delivered our August Connectivities box to a community in our area. The engagement coordinator there is great and is really enthusiastic about implementing Connectivities. She explained to me that her group activities usually last about 15-20 minutes until she loses the attention of the group and needs to shift gears to something else. This is a pretty common time span for activities to last in a group setting. It can be hard to engage all of the different levels, interests and personalities for a significant amount of time. I sat down to demonstrate a Connectivities game that is one of our welcome activities. It is a simple seasons matching game that can be done in several different ways. The group that I was working with that day had about 8 people. Guess how long we spent doing the activity? An HOUR!!! We had so much fun. The engagement coordinator couldn’t believe it! Here is how we did it……

I scattered the 4 season cards (winter, spring, summer, fall) around the table. This first step started to peak the resident’s interest, including one resident who declined to join the group. Next, I chose a picture card of a beach scene, I showed this around the table and asked what season the picture went with? The residents took their time, studied the picture and agreed that the beach scene should go under the summer category. Since I had everyone’s attention, I then asked if anyone had ever been on a beach vacation? I waited patiently and made sure to give the residents time to think about the question. There were lots of fun stories shared of time spent in California, a beach vacation in New Jersey, and trips to Mexico. At this point the resident who refused to join the group in the beginning, pulled her chair up to the table and joined in. The next card I showed the group was of pumpkins in a bed of leaves. Again, it was decided the card belonged under the Fall category. This time I asked what smells remind them
of fall? Cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking with pumpkin. I asked if there were any sounds that remind them of Fall? Leaves crunching, leaves hitting the ground and the raking of leaves. We continued through all the various picture cards sorting them by season and sharing stories, reliving memories, connecting with each other. Even some staff members had joined in and loved participating!

Many different time frames for activities can be useful! From five minutes to an hour, each type of engagement and connection can have purpose. A 5 to15 minute activity is a great way to provide a sense of security, calm anxieties, and to help with challenging or aggressive behaviors. We often find that engagement interventions are all that’s needed to re-set someone’s mood and get them back into their normal routine. Larger groups offer a chance to get everyone involved in a longer engagement activity, including residents who wouldn’t normally join in. Group activities provide a sense of community and connection and can be great fun! A simple activity can be extended by playing in teams, having partners, getting staff and the care team involved, asking additional questions, sharing your thoughts with the group, and learning new things about the individuals participating. Larger and longer lasting activities offer the opportunity to create new connections, to develop new interests, and provide an increase in self-esteem and sense of accomplishment.

Connectivities is great because the actual activities are all right there for you. Everything you need and proven to work with people living with all stages of dementia. You are also provided with the tools to make it a 15 minute or 60 minute activity, based on your needs and your participant’s needs that day. Creating authentic connections delivered right to your door could not be easier with Connectivities.

Connectivities was recently featured by Teepa Snow's Positive Approach to Care as an option for care partners to create opportunities for people living with dementia to maintain essential skills in language, fine and gross motor movement, problem-solving, and more.

By keeping a routine that includes purposeful and leisure activities, care partners can create opportunities for people living with dementia to maintain essential skills in language, fine and gross motor movement, problem solving, and more.

As Teepa tells us, there are four types of activities each of us participates in as we go about our lives. They are purposeful, leisure, self-care, and restorative/rest activities. For people living with dementia, it becomes more and more difficult to initiate and participate in many of the activities they once enjoyed. Leaving them and their care partners feeling a growing sense of loss and frustration.  By shifting our focus on the types of activities people living with dementia continue to engage in, we can help both parties lead more fulfilling lives.

As care partners in both home and community settings, we tend to focus on self-care and restorative activities such as grooming and rest/sleep. With such an intense focus on these activities we often become frustrated with each other and lose the connection we once had and continue to crave. Consistently being met with frustration and resistance leads to a cycle of exhaustion that we often see with family care partners.

At Connectivities, we believe that if we continue to include activities for purpose and leisure in our daily routine, we can maintain stronger connections and better quality of life. As a person living with dementia progresses, we have to be open about the activities they might try. We often hear, My dad would never do that or My mom loved to sew but I can’t get her to do anything now.

Sometimes whether or not the person living with dementia will participate in an activity has more to do with the care partner’s attitude about it or approach than the person’s willingness or ability. In order to engage someone, we have to set them up for success. They may not have enjoyed making or building things, but they love to help! So, we set up an activity and then we ask for their help.  At this point the participation is less about what the activity is, and more about the feeling of purpose or accomplishment that happens during the interaction.

For example, in our July Connectivities box, one of the activities was to put together a patriotic baton. It involved putting stoppers on a clear plastic tube and filling the tube with pony beads and patriotic confetti. During our trial of this activity some people were happy to follow the instructions and tickled with the end product. Our more reluctant participants responded well to being asked to help and then solving the problem of getting the pony beads into the tube. Being asked to solve a problem or help with something can be very compelling.

Leisure activities such as games or sensory based projects can calm and engage both the care partner and the person living with dementia. In our Connectivities vacations themed August box, participants make a version of an I Spy tube. Participants are delighted by the tiny vacation themed objects that go into the tube and then can spend their time looking for them among the rice filler and other objects. Finding the objects and talking about memories involving each one extends the activity even further.

Creating these opportunities for purpose and leisure can take some time and effort to plan and prepare, so it is understandable that a care partner in the cycle of exhaustion may find it difficult. There are multiple resources available for care partners or other family members to find and prepare for these types of activities. In fact, just looking on Pinterest will generate an endless number of ideas.

Connectivities is a brand-new resource that wholly addresses the need for both purposeful and leisure activities. Connectivities offers activities proven to engage people living with dementia. A monthly subscription is available as well as single boxes, mini boxes, and sensory kits. Each activity comes with the materials needed to complete the activity, detailed printed instructions, video instructional supports, and therapy goals.

By keeping a routine that includes purposeful and leisure activities both at home and in group care settings, care partners can reduce boredom as well as create opportunities for people living with dementia to maintain essential skills in language, fine and gross motor movement, problem solving, and more. Connectivities was designed to make this important work as easy as possible for people in any setting. As we consider what constitutes a life worth living for people living with dementia, we have to remain open-minded and flexible in order to foster opportunities for connection with purpose and leisure activities.

https://teepasnow.com/blog/how-to-provide-balance-and-more-fulfilling-activities-for-people-living-with-dementia/?__hstc=195676915.f19ff9d64c15a524cd27965ee6133846.1657910988897.1674844138693.1675092137378.170&__hssc=195676915.28.1675092137378&__hsfp=2061426584&hsCtaTracking=e9414f04-1145-46e0-82d2-5c09f5419d2b%7C52cc5cb2-2a00-4bb6-84a7-d764ba354a39

Here are ten different tips to utilize when visiting your loved one living with dementia. 

1. Be aware of where the person is in the disease process. Teepa Snow has a
   wonderful model called GEMS that can be accessed here GEMS Poster.
2. Keep your approach in mind. Don’t rush and come at them with a task. Ease them into it ensuring that they feel safe.
3. In your greeting, tell them who you are and your relation. Such as “Hi Grandpa, it’s me, Mandy your granddaughter.” Rather than “Do you know who I am?”
4. Be flexible. Even if you have a certain type of visit planned, you may need to shift your expectations if things aren’t going well.
5. Use Familiar/Special objects:
   a. Vision is the most important way people take in information. Bringing something special to look at, hold and discuss can be a good conversation starter and may spark a memory you didn’t expect!
   b. Hearing is the second most important way we take in information. Music is a great way to connect. Old songs from the person’s youth or young adulthood are usually your best bet. Music can also help if you are trying to get your loved one to initiate a task. Distract them by singing an old favorite can be just what they need to get started.
   c. Touch is a great way to connect with someone who is further along in the disease process. A hand massage, back rub, brushing hair can be very soothing.
   d. If you bring food, make sure it is something easy to eat or drink like a milkshake, special coffee drink, smoothie, etc.
6. If you want to reminisce with your loved one, don’t ask “do you remember…..” Instead tell them about a favorite memory you have that involves them or what some of your favorite traditions were with them.
7. Never argue. You won’t win and you will both end up frustrated. A white lie is better than ruining your visit just to be right.
8. Visits don’t have to be long to be successful. A 30 minute visit can make someone’s day. If a visit is too long, you both might get frustrated. They won’t necessarily remember how long you were there, but how they felt while you were there will remain.
9. People living with dementia have good days and bad days. If you have a
   visit that doesn’t go well, that doesn’t mean the next visit won’t be a great
   one.
10. Bring activities from a Connectivities box with you! The feeling of purpose
    and connection that they get during the activity will stay with them long
    after you are gone!