Any activity that involves accessing cognitive function will be of benefit to the Alzheimer's patient. This can be as simple as finding pieces to fit into a puzzle, playing bingo or simple card games. These kinds of activities bring the patient into the moment and helps them interact with others around them. Other activities such as looking at old photographs and reminiscing, will help the patient bring out memories that are seemingly locked away. The Alzheimer's patient can often not recognize their own children or spouse when they visit, but if presented with a photograph of their family and friends when they were a child, quite suprisingly can name most of the people whose images they are looking at. This often leads to story-telling by the patient. The stories may be different each time they are remembered, but the content is not as important as the process.

What is integral to any activity is to encourage conversation. To accomplish this it is essential to provide a safe, comfortable, nurturing atmosphere. Whether the patient is able to play the game according to the rules, or not is not important. Seeing the person for who they are, not who they used to be, and being with the person in whatever their current state should be the goal. The Alzheimer's patient knows that there is someone there and they can relax better when they are treated with respect, compassion and allowed their dignity.

During the earlier stages of Alzheimer's simple crossword puzzles, word searches, trivia games, attending lectures and meetings, and group games can all help to keep the brain functioning at a higher level. Gradually, as function declines, to avoid frustration these activites need to be simplified.