Visit at mealtime and help deliver your loved one’s meal tray to their table. They might eat more!

Visit at the time of activities and encourage your family member’s participation.

Take a favorite book along on your visit and read to your family member.

Write letters or note cards for your loved one. Help them stay in contact with their friends and family. Carry in letters or cards written to them, too.  Help them read those! 

If you take videos of children’s sports activities or school performances, take your computer or iPad on your visit and share that video!

Take along a favorite board game and play with your loved one.                                                                                                                                 

Take a puzzle that you can complete in the length of your visit.

Music is stimulating, so take your iPod or a CD player and play some favorite songs.

If you have a child to take along, take craft projects that all of you can do. Painting sun catchers or stringing bead necklaces would be appropriate.

Use technology to connect with family members.  Take your laptop and Skype so your loved one can have a real time conversation with another family member!

Paint fingernails, brush hair or give hand massages to men and women.

Take your family member on a walk through the facility or outside, and talk about the things you see. Take time to visit the flower beds, bird cage or other focal points.