Fit Minds Interact® Program (Level Maintenance)

September Session Plan No. 4

Copyright © 2011-2016 By Fit Minds Cognitive Health Products Inc. All Rights Reserved. Patent Pending in the USA (61,665,680) and Canada (2,781,253). For more information go to www.fitminds.ca

Session Data

Fit Minds Cognitive Engagement Scale™: Beside each activity you will see an engagement scale. This scale is an assessment on engagement levels which is a good way to determine cognitive interaction. Circle the appropriate number: 1 (Not Very Engaged) thru to 5 (Very Engaged). This is a good way to track which activities are engaging the group and which activities are not.

Physical Warm-up [3-5 minutes] Warm-up exercises: Deep breathing is important to improve oxygen levels in the blood. Focus on

breathing in and out through the nose if possible with mouth closed. Place hands on the belly and breathe out to a five count and in to a five count. The belly should expand on inhale and flatten on exhale. Placing the hands on the belly will help raise body awareness and give a point of focus. Repeat 5 times. Back of Leg (Achilles) Stretch – The Achilles tendon stretches along the back of each leg from the heel to the calf muscle. Stretching this tendon is important for lower leg flexibility. From sitting – lift the right leg slightly off the ground and flex the foot, pushing the heel away from the body. Hold this position for a count of 5 to 10 seconds and relax. Repeat. Switch to the left leg and repeat the stretch.

Language Warm-up [3-5 minutes] Hot/Cold: Read the word and ask the group (or each individual) to respond with whether or not

the item is hot or cold: Ice [Cold], Snow [Cold], Apple Pie [Hot], Milk [Cold], Turkey [Hot], Lava [Hot], Sun [Hot] Arctic Ocean [Cold], Equator [Hot], North Pole [Cold], Coffee [Hot], Ice Cream [Cold] Opposite Words: Read the word and ask the individual to respond with the opposite of each word given. South [North]; East [West]; Big [Small]; Stop [Go]; Up [Down]; Hard [Soft]; Hot [Cold]; Left [Right]; Big [Small]; Wet [Dry]; Laugh [Cry]; Less [More]; Leader [Follower]; Long [Short]; Loudly [Quietly]; Low [High]; Left [Right]; Large [Small]; Land [Sea]; Near [Far]; Narrow [Wide]; New [Old]; Niece [Nephew]; Night [Day]; Noisy [Quiet]; North [South];

Calendar (Orientation) [3-5 minutes] Review your activity calendar with the group. Using the calendar ask the following questions:

1. How many Mondays are in this month? 2. From today’s date [say today’s date], how many Mondays are left in this month? 3. How many days starting with “T” are in this week? 4. What is the ninth month of the year? [September]

Visual/Spatial Orientation [5-7 minutes]

Family Tree Map (download) Share a copy of the download with the group. Ask the question on the download and see if they can figure out from the family tree, the answers to each of the questions.

Engagement Scale: 1 2 3 4 5

Fit Minds Interact® Program (Level Maintenance)

September Session Plan No. 4

Copyright © 2011-2016 By Fit Minds Cognitive Health Products Inc. All Rights Reserved. Patent Pending in the USA (61,665,680) and Canada (2,781,253). For more information go to www.fitminds.ca

Memory and Critical Thinking [5-7 minutes] Camping Stories

Long term memory is a powerful part of who we are and it shapes us in very distinct ways. Memories of summer vacations - particularly those when we were children and summer seemed to stretch forever - can remain very vivid. In this exercise, share those memories to help create connections in your group and with you. Ask the group to think back to camping memories. Do you have any that really stand out as golden moments? One of the crystal clear memories I have is time spent camping in the Okanagan Valley as kids. My parents would pack up the camper and we would drive from Saskatoon to B.C. for two weeks of camping at Osoyoos Lake. Our campground was in a peach orchard. We would just reach up into the trees and eat the peaches.

Engagement Scale: 1 2 3 4 5

Computation [7-10 minutes] Solve the Equation. (download)

Download and share the equation sheet. Work through it slowly as a group. Apply the principles of BEDMAS.

Engagement Scale: 1 2 3 4 5

Language and Music [10-15 minutes] Activity: Completion Exercise – Match Opposites

The object of this exercise is to practice matching opposite words. Provide each person with the first sheet and have them match the words in column 1 with the opposite word in column 2. They should draw a line connecting the opposite words. Let them work through it at their own pace – encouraging them individually to complete their sheet. Discussion: Music (Bring Your Own Favorites) Ask them if they have any favorite camp songs that they used to sing when they were camping. Encourage them to sing the songs that they remember. Do you have any campfire songs that you want to share? Alternatively, bring some camp song music for them to sing to.

Engagement Scale: 1 2 3 4 5

Wrap-up [3-5 minutes] A wrap-up ritual is an important framing piece for helping individuals with dementia end

activities. Moments of transition can cause anxiety, so we’ve created a wrap-up ritual for you to use. Feel free to augment it with music or time for tea. To wrap-up the activity tell them the session is ending and you want to give them a little something to take away from the session. Give each individual an affirmation card. Tell them what is happening next on the schedule and tell them when their next Interact session is scheduled.

1

Visual/Spatial Orientation

MIND MAP—Instructions

Give the individual the download sheet. Have the individual review

the family tree. Note that the two initial couples are sisters.

Ask the individual the following questions:

1. Who is the first cousin of John Smith? [Jim Baur]

2. Who is the second cousin of James Smith? [Alexander Baur]

3. Who is James Smith’s Great Aunt? [Mary Baur]

4. Who is Sandra Baur’s great-great-grandmother? [Mary Baur]

Fit Minds Inc. © 2012—2016. All Rights Reserved.

2

Visual/Spatial Orientation

FAMILY TREE

Two sisters get married and have children.

Fit Minds Inc. © 2012—2016. All Rights Reserved.

John Smith

(m. 1903)

Mary Smith (nee Jacob)

James Smith

(m. 1882)

Isobel Smith (nee Gabriel)

James (Jim) Bauer

(m. 1908)

Joan Bauer (nee keller)

Joseph Bauer

(m. 1882)

Mary Bauer (nee Gabriel)

James Smith

(m. 1933)

Gloria Smith (nee Rawls)

Alexander Baur

(m. 1938)

Alina Baur (nee Johnson)

David Smith

(m. 1963)

kathryn Smith (nee John)

Simon Baur

(m. 1965)

Leanne Baur (nee Kent)

Sandra Baur b. 1967

1

Computation

SOLVE THE EQUATIONS—Instructions & Answers

Apply the rule BEDMAS to solve these equations.

Apply in order - B = Brackets; E=Exponents; D=Division;

M=Multiplication; A=Addition; S=Subtraction to solve the equation.

Fit Minds Inc. © 2015. All Rights Reserved.

(2 x 2) + 4 = 8

(4) + 4 = 8

2 x (2 + 4) = 12

2 x (6) = 12

2

Computation

SOLVE THE EQUATIONS

Solve the Equations applying BEDMAS.

Apply in order - B = Brackets; E=Exponents;

D=Division; M=Multiplication; A=Addition;

S=Subtraction

Fit Minds Inc. © 2015. All Rights Reserved.

(2 x 2) + 4 = __

2 x (2 + 4) = __

1

Language Activity

MATCHING OPPOSITES—Instructions & Answers

Give the individual the download sheet. Each word in column 1 has an

opposite in column 2. Ask the individual to connect the opposites. The

answers are provided below for your reference.

Fit Minds Inc. © 2010—2015. All Rights Reserved.

laugh

land

large

left

long

right

cry

small

sea

short

2

Language Activity

Fit Minds Inc. © 2010—2015. All Rights Reserved.

MATCHING OPPOSITES

Connect the word in column 1 with its opposite in

column 2.

laugh

land

large

left

long

right

cry

small

sea

short

I Am Unique and

Wonderfully

Different

I Can Do It!

I See Beauty

All Around Me

I Have Much

To Give

I Have Wisdom

I Am Alive

I Know God

Is With Me

I Have A Diploma

From The School

Of Life