Can Puzzles Help Adults with Alzheimer’s?

Alzheimer’s is a quickly growing disease among American adults — about 1 in 9 people aged 65 and older has it. But this year’s campaign theme, ‘Never too early, never too late’, promotes risk reduction for World Alzheimer’s Month. Can activities like puzzles help ward off some of the disorder’s most visible impacts? 

While Diversity in Toys primarily offers products for children with diverse needs, many of our products can be helpful to folks with disabilities of all ages. Last week, as part of our World Alzheimer’s Month observation, we started to discuss Alzheimer’s disease and how it affects the brain. Alzheimer’s is a brain disorder that manifests as deteriorating memory and thinking skills. Over time, it can affect a patient’s ability to carry out even the simplest tasks. 

Unfortunately, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s — there is currently no way to reverse damage done by the disease. However, certain interventions can reduce or slow the disease’s progression. Physical activity, healthy diet, and regular social interactions are all behaviors recommended to reduce a person’s risk of dementia.

Puzzles, in particular, are an accessible activity for folks with Alzheimer’s that promote cognitive functioning and fine motor control. Jigsaw puzzles have been found to aid visual-spatial reasoning, short-term memory, and problem-solving skills. They also help combat cognitive decline. One study found that activities like puzzles can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease by 5 years!

Below are a few reasons why puzzles are a good choice for folks with Alzheimer’s. Plus, some tips on how to pick the right one one. 

Why puzzles for Alzheimer’s?

As we’ve discussed before, puzzles are a good activity for neurodiverse folks, both young and old, because they are clear, concrete, and independent. For the same reasons, puzzles are a fitting activity for folks with Alzheimer’s.  

As Alzheimer’s progresses, a person may lose short term recall, the ability to plan ahead or make decisions, and verbal processing. Puzzles do not require any of those skills. Instead, fitting each piece of a puzzle is its own task. A puzzle allows a person struggling with cognitive functioning to take it literally one piece at a time. One doesn’t need to remember very much to complete a puzzle, either. It is a seated activity, which lowers any risk of injury while focusing. And, while puzzles allow for trial and error, they don’t require much decision-making.

Puzzles are also a straightforward, relaxing way for folks with Alzheimer’s to pass the time. Some other games and hobbies may become frustrating as an individual’s capability decreases. Puzzles, on the other hand, have very few rules and are self-explanatory. Piecing together a puzzle can provide a sense of accomplishment for someone who has lost other down-time outlets. 

How to Pick a Good Puzzle for Someone with Alzheimer’s

If you know someone with Alzheimer’s, you may want to see if they’d enjoy a puzzle. But which one should you offer? 

Finding a good puzzle is like serving a good snack: it’s largely a matter of taste. A puzzle can feature just about any image, so choose one that appeals to the interests of the person you’re buying it for. For older folks, finding a puzzle that reminds them of their younger years can be helpful for encouraging memory recall.

You also want to pair a puzzle with the individual’s ability. While puzzles are generally thought of as an elementary activity, they can vary widely in difficulty and time. A 500-piece puzzle may take between 2 and 7 hours to complete, while 1,000-piece puzzles have an average completion time of 9 hours. Wow! Because puzzles vary so much, you want to make sure your loved one can complete their puzzle in a comfortable amount of time with minimal frustration, while not giving them something too simple, either.

You may have to offer a few different puzzle sizes and styles to gauge what level is appropriate. Ask them what kind they enjoy, or what image they prefer. Then, see if they readily sit down to tackle the challenge or if they give up before they’ve finished. And remember, any puzzle can be tag-teamed. Turn doing a puzzle into parallel play – because time with your loved one is what counts the most.