Kansas City Spring Activities for People with Alzheimer’s

Spring is my favorite time of year in Kansas City. The trees are blossoming. The flowers are blooming. The air is beginning to warm. And I’m itching to go outside!

If you’re caring for someone who has Alzheimer’s or other form of dementia, getting outside to enjoy the spring weather may seem next to impossible. But there are actually quite a few spring activities in Kansas City the two of you can share. Here are some suggestions.

Tip: If you don’t have time to plan all of these activities, maybe your home care provider can help:

Have lunch on the Plaza. Having lunch on an outdoor patio on the Plaza has always been one of my favorite things to do in the spring. And outdoor patios tend to be quieter than eating indoors, which is good for people who have dementia. It might also be a good idea to plan a late lunch so you’ll miss the mid-day crowd.

Take a walk in the park. Loose Park is one of my favorite places to walk in the spring, but there are tons of parks in and around Kansas City where you can go for a scenic walk. You probably already have a favorite Kansas City park, but if not, here’s a link to the Johnson County Parks. This link will take you to the Kansas City parks.

Plan a picnic. If you feel like it would be difficult to take your loved one who has Alzheimer’s on a picnic in a Kansas City Park, plan one in your own back yard. Even when my mom was in the later stages of Alzheimer’s, she still seemed to enjoy family gatherings. So invite some family members over and ask them all to bring a dish so you don’t have to do all the cooking.

Go for a drive. Admiring nature was another thing my mom still enjoyed when she had Alzheimer’s. So try taking your loved one on a scenic drive to see the trees blossoming. Blue River Road was always one of my favorite spring drives. If you don’t have a favorite, any tree-lined roads in your neighborhood should be lovely in the spring.

Visit a Botanical Garden. Nothing says spring like seeing flowers in full bloom. And a botanical garden will allow you to take a leisurely stroll past thousands of flowers (and maybe even some wildlife) in a peaceful setting. Powell Gardens and the Overland Park Arboretum  are two Kansas City-area botanical gardens.

Do a tour of fountains. Kansas City is the City of Fountains! Find out which Kansas City fountains are closest to you, then map out a plan to take a driving tour.