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Daily Spark

Daily Spark: An engagement program for memory care

benefits for residents or loved-one (https://www.alz.orG):

1. uses personal history, past jobs, or lifelong hobbies.

2. Adapts each activity to the individual’s exact stage of dementia to support success and prevent failure

3. Reduces sensory overload and confusion that often occur in busy environments.

4. support emotional well‑being and connection.

5. promote purpose and daily structure

Key Advantages for ED and activity director

1. boosts resident retention.

2. Accelerate Move-in. High Occupancy levels.

3. Lowers worker turnover.

4. Improving family satisfaction and Trust.

 

Daily Spark is a person‑centered engagement program offered in 30–60 minute morning or afternoon sessions. Each session follows Activity Categories, or Interest/Hobbies for each resident or loved-one, recommended materials, and strategies tailored to dementia and cognitive levels.
Activity Coordinator or Life Enrichment Director can customize dementia activities that fits their residents’ needs and tailor the activity schedule accordingly. 
Example: Schedule Daily Spark Sessions
  • 10:30 a.m. — Monday, Wednesday, Friday
  • 1:30 p.m. — Tuesday, Thursday; optional: Saturday, Sunday

How To Customize The Daily Spark Sessions

  1.  Name of each memory care resident or loved-one with their Dementia/Cognitive Level and Interest/Hobbies.
  2.  Add the total number of residents that have early-stage, middle-stage and late-stage dementia, respectively, for tables.
  3.  Search for Person-Centered Activities for each resident or loved-one and view the details for each activity and Activity Category: Puzzles, Matching & Pairing, Sorting, Numbers & Counting, Words & Letters, Creative Arts, Culture & Geography, Workshop, Kitchen Tasks.  
  4.  For each resident, write down the activity with the Activity Category.

Here are examples - follow along on the website's Search for Person-Centered Activities:

  • Resident 1: Early-stage dementia and Interest/Hobbies is Academic/Technical: Compass Marker, Globe and Countries - Culture and Geography; Matching Playing Cards with 6 pages of random cards; Matching Famous Artwork - Matching & Pairing; Cube Puzzles, Q-bitz, 24 jigsaw puzzles - Puzzles. Word Search, Word Scramble, Missing Letters - Words & Letters.
  • Resident 2: Early-stage dementia and Interest/Hobbies is  Sports:  Olympic Summer Events and Names, NFL Cities & Teams - Culture and Geography; Matching MBL Teams, Matching Coins, Pairing Socks - Matching & Pairing; Football and Golf Photo Puzzles - Puzzles; Word Scramble, Missing Letters - Words & Letters.
  • Resident 3: Middle-stage dementia and Interest/Hobbies is Reading/Writing: Matching Dominos, Matching Famous Artwork - Matching & Pairing; 3-4 Piece Word Puzzles, 2-Piece Puzzles Words and Images - Puzzles. Jr. Boggle, Jr. Scrabble, Missing Letters -Words & Letters.
  • Resident 4: Middle-stage dementia and Interest/Hobbies is Traveling:  Compass Marker, USA and State Flags - Culture and Geography; Matching Country Flags, Matching Lighthouses - Matching & Pairing; USA States and State Shape 2-piece Puzzle, Photo Puzzles - Puzzles; Word Scramble with Images, Missing Letters - Words & Letters.
  • Resident 5: Middle-stage dementia and Interest/Hobbies is Academic/Technical: Famous Presidents with Images, Rand McNally: The Ultimate Map It! Seek & Find Atlas - Culture and Geography; Set Junior; Matching Playing Card with Suits- Matching & Pairing; Tetrus Puzzles, 12 jigsaw puzzles - Puzzles. Matching Letter Game, Missing Letters - Words & Letters.
  • Resident 6: Late-stage dementia and Interest/Hobbies is Arts & Crafts: Lacing Cards and Yarn, Flower Arranging, Painting with Watercolors and Easel - Creative Art; Matching fabic swatches, Simple Block Matching - Matching & Pairing; 2-Pieces with Words and Images: Colors - Puzzles, Paint Swatch Matching, Painting Wood - Workshop.
  • Resident 7: Late-stage dementia and Interest/Hobbies is Baking & Cooking: Smelling jars, Treasure Hunt: uncooked rice and bury object  - Creative Art;  Napkins or Towels Folding, Playdough, Rolling Pin and Cookies Cutters - Kitchen Task; Colored Wooden Sticks and Matching, Napkin Rolling and Napkin Rings - Matching & Pairing; Flatware with Display Case, Colored Pasta Sorting - Sorting.  Golfballs and Mini-Muffin Tin - Workshop.

Total # Residents: 7 : Early-Stage Dementia = 2 ; Middle-Stage Dementia = 3; Late-Stage Dementia = 2

Tables: Table One: 2 early- stage and 2 middle-stage dementia; Table Two: 2 middle-stage and 2 late-stage dementia.

Customize The Daily Spark Sessions:

  1. Purchase or print activities for each resident and place them in the appropriate Dementia Level container (3 containers: Early, Middle, Late). Include printed details for every activity and place them in the appropriate container. Your team will appreciate having the activity instructions available, especially when you are not on site.
  2. For each session of The Daily Spark, bring out 2–3 Activity Categories for each resident.
  3. After the session, return all activities to their correct container.
****  For this example, we limited the numbers of activities and Activity Categories for each resident. ****

After completing the How to Customize The Daily Spark Sessions exercise, you'll understand the process and be able to tailor The Daily Spark for your memory care community.

Once you understand the process, click here for the Next Steps of The Daily Spark.