Talia Cantaffa

Activity: Familiar Phrases

DementiaCareCentral.com. (2020, April 24). Stages of Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Durations &

Scales Used to Measure Progression (GDS, FAST & CDR). Dementia Care Central. Retrieved

November 14, 2021, from https://www.dementiacarecentral.com/aboutdementia/facts/stages/

Dementia.org. (2020, April 17). The Seven Stages Of Dementia. Retrieved November 14, 2021,

from https://www.dementia.org/stages-of-dementia

Dementia.org. (2019, October 9). Early Symptoms of Dementia. Retrieved November 14, 2021,

from https://www.dementia.org/early-symptoms-of-dementia

Equipment Necessary: Sources for phrases, like books or the internet, or use phrases that you or

the residents grew up with.

Description:

1. Gather a list of common/familiar phrases.

2. Put participants in the same area of the room.

3. Say half a phrase, then have the participants finish the phrase.

Interaction:

This activity would be considered an intragroup interaction because the actions are

cooperative in nature, and intend to reach a common goal. All members of the group

must work together for each participant to reach the expected goal. The actions are

positive in nature, and can be achieved through verbal or nonverbal interaction (also, for

involvement, if the participant cannot speak, he or she may write out the remaining parts

of the phrase).

Adaptation:
 Talia Cantaffa

Dementia can cause problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. Symptoms typically

develop slowly and get worse over time, and often become severe enough to interfere

with daily tasks. Currently more than 55 million people live with dementia worldwide,

and there are nearly 10 million new cases every year. During the early stage of dementia,

the onset tends to be gradual which causes it to be overlooked. Some common symptoms

during this stage are forgetfulness, losing track of time, and becoming lost in familiar

spaces. For an individual with dementia who is participating in this activity specific

adaptations can be made. First, it’s important to help the person get started if he or she

does not understand the initial directions. The participant can watch a few rounds of the

activity, and then jump in when he or she feels ready. Depending on how advanced the

disease is, or how far along it has progressed, the recreational therapist could create cards

with pictures on them to resemble each phrase. If the participant is unable to formulate

the rest of the phrase, seeing pictures that describe each phrase might spark a memory in

their biran.
 Talia Cantaffa

Familiar Phrases

Sight for Sore Eyes As pure as the driven snow

A bed of roses Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
A blast from the past Backseat driver
A bolt from the blue Barking up the wrong tree
A diamond is forever Beat about the bush
A drop in the bucket Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
A fate worse than death Beauty is only skin deep
A foregone conclusion Been there, done that
A frog in the throat Bet your bottom dollar
A hard man is good to find Better to have loved and lost than never to
A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse have loved at all
A house divided against itself cannot stand Between a rock and a hard place
A knee jerk reaction Call a spade a spade
A labour of love Discretion is the better part of valour
A laughing stock Eat drink and be merry
A leopard cannot change its spots Finger lickin good
A lick and a promise Full of piss and vinegar
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing Genius is one percent inspiration and 99
A man after my own heart percent perspiration
A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do Keep up with the Joneses
A Molotov cocktail Like a chicken with its head cut off
A multitude of sins Make him an offer he can't refuse
A picture paints a thousand words Much Ado about Nothing
A rose is a rose is a rose No rest for the wicked
A shot across the bows On a wing and a prayer
A small step for man, a giant leap for Speak softly and carry a big stick
mankind The Ball is in your court
A sorry sight The die has been cast
A square meal Walk the plank
A stool pigeon What's up Doc?
A thing of beauty is a joy forever You are what you eat
A whiter shade of pale
Abandon hope all ye who enter here
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Ace in the hole
All that glitters is not gold
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
Apples and pears
As cool as a cucumber
As dead as a doornail
As fit as a fiddle
As happy as a clam
As mad as a hatter