We decided to try taking Jim (my father-in-law) to the movies.  He and Monika (my mother-in-law) always used to go to the movies.  It was something they both really enjoyed.  The past several years they quit going completely because of Jim having Alzheimer’s.  So Monika, Sydney, Jim and I decided to give the movie going another try.

One thing we did to help minimize extra confusion and stress for Jim was to go to a discount theater that shows the movies several months after they have been in the main cinemas.  Much less people, noise, and distractions for Jim is what we were hoping.  It was perfect!  We went to the 12:00 noon showing and there was only 1 other person in the theater on this particular afternoon.  Not sure if that is normal or if the particular movie we saw wasn’t overly popular.  We also chose a movie that we though might hold Jim’s attention.  We based the movie on what we thought he might like.

Most of the time when Jim sits down he automatically goes to sleep.  It is just what happens now.   But he did not go to sleep during the movie at all.  He was very awake and would even smile at different parts of it.  This is one of the things we miss the most about Jim having Alzheimer’s.  He doesn’t smile much anymore and rarely does he laugh.

Jim has always been a sports fanatic!  He loved all sports.  During March Madness and the Olympics you would always find him right in front of the TV.  There was nothing better for him!  He watched every single event in the Olympics.  He was passionate about both the winter and the summer games.  He enjoyed them all!

So we decided to take him to see I, Tonya.  It was about the Olympic figure skating scandal that Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerigan were involved in.  We were hoping it would hold his interest and take him back in time.  We nailed it!  He not only stayed awake but when it was over he told us that it was really good and gave us the thumbs up sign.

We all had a good time and this gave Monika a chance to get out of the house for a bit.  We will definitely be going to the movies again.  Jim really seemed to enjoy it and that made us enjoy it!

We are going to continue trying new activities with Jim.  So far everything we have done has been a success.  Once the weather warms up we are planning some outdoor activities.  Looking forward to spending some time outside with Jim!

If you have a loved one with Alzheimer’s we hope that you are getting something from our Alzheimer’s awareness posts.  We have included links to a couple of other articles about activities that we have done with Jim.  We are going to continue trying new things and going new places with him.  As long as he is up for it, so are we!

A Day With Grandpa

We Love Someone with Alzheimer’s

Have a great day!