Activities for Dementia Patients: A River Cruise

Requesting songs and remembering the lyrics was a particularly important part of this special cruise for dementia patients and their caregivers organized by the University of Chicago Memory Center with the help of Senior Living Specialists Chicago.

Dr. Kaitlin Seibert, who was a musician before becoming a doctor, works at the Memory Center and said she uses music in her practice. The part of the brain that engages music and creativity is often spared in patients with Alzheimer’s, she said, so those things are “a really great way that patients can still connect.”

The two-hour Odyssey Chicago River cruise, which touched off at a Streeterville dock on Oct. 3, was assuredly wheelchair-accessible and available at a discount for anyone diagnosed with any form of dementia, as well as their caregivers.

With several partner organizations, such as Great Lakes Clinical Trials and Belmont Village Senior Living, the cruise was organized in part by Mike Delaney, whose wife of 51 years, Geri Delaney, died in April after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s nearly seven years ago. He said he wanted to be a part of this year’s cruise because he remembered the care his wife received at UChicago Medicine and how she “wasn’t at all just a number.”

Despite his tremendous loss, he said it was important to him to “support the work and really give back.

“I was looking at it through the eyes of someone who was on this journey and yeah, the caregiving gets intense, and you get into a rut,” he said. “Every day begins to be like the day before. The beauty of something like this cruise is it’s something new. The caregiver doesn’t have to go through a whole lot of planning, and it’s something for both the caregiver and the person who requires care to just get out and have a good time.”

Tailoring the cruise for the passengers

The cruise was made dementia-friendly and also ADA accessible in a number of ways, said Tessa Garcia McEwen, licensed clinical social worker at the Memory Center. The boat had outdoor viewing decks at the same level as the indoor seating so passengers were able to see the sights from outside or inside through the glass without having to go up or down any stairs. There was extra time for check-in and boarding as well as a lot of communication with attendees leading up to the event to make sure everyone knew and felt comfortable with the plans.

The onboard staff was trained on dementia-friendly practices, McEwen said, such as making eye contact and trying to be straightforward while also understanding that someone with memory challenges is likely sensitive to body language, word choice and tone.

“There’s so much educational opportunity in dementia care, especially out in the world with different staff, like fast-food chains, because I’ve seen people get really frustrated,” McEwen said. “We almost have to train the world to be more compassionate.”

Activities for dementia patients

The cruise featured music, movement and arts, three things McEwen said “are excellent for the brain” and can help with quality of life. People on the cruise were encouraged to request their favorite songs and soon began singing along and dancing. The staff passed out adult coloring books because, McEwen said, art is an activity that “keeps you calm” and works the creative part of the brain that is sometimes retained during memory loss.

Mike Delaney recalled that during the lockdown part of the pandemic, “when you couldn’t get out and do anything,” he and his wife got involved with “Art Is … In,” a Memory Center program that sent home weekly art kits with all the supplies for a new project for someone with memory loss to do with their caregiver.

“Geri and I thought it was so cool, and we always felt cared for,” Delaney said.

Paige Conti, 43, came on the cruise with her mother, Annette Conti, 74, and said “it makes a big difference” having activities and options.

“We never really get to do these kinds of things because of her condition, and it’s nice to have a dementia-friendly environment,” Paige Conti said.

Engaging activities for dementia patients

The idea for the cruise came from a UChicago patient who told McEwen about a cruise she and her husband were going on to Alaska for people with memory changes, McEwen said. She talked to Amy Keefner, with Senior Living Specialists of Chicago, and the two decided to bring a version of the cruise to the Chicago River.

The first cruise in 2018 was organized in six weeks and had about 140 people on board. It was scaled back slightly to allow for more space on board, with about 100 people in 2019 and about 115 people this year. The pandemic put the cruise on pause for a few years.

In addition to patients from UChicago, there were people on this year’s cruise who had come from other groups, including local adult day centers and Lorenzo’s House, which helps families dealing with early-onset dementia.

Seibert, who was also on the cruise, said it’s hard to find dementia-friendly activities, and people dealing with dementia are often left sitting at home.

“Socialization, sunshine, they get to move to the music, all of these things are really important in dementia care,” Seibert said.

Ravi Saxena, 50, went on the cruise with his mother, Maria Saxena, 81. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s about three years ago, and Ravi Saxena said “it was wonderful” to see her getting out and socializing. Maria Saxena spent much of the cruise on the dance floor pulling up almost anyone she could see to dance with her, which her son described as her having “a lot of get up and go.”

“It helps me believe that she’s actually having fun,” Ravi Saxena said. “She goes to a day care center and even though she doesn’t report back on how things are going there, you can kind of trust that she’s doing good out there when you see her doing good in here.”

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