What cognitive stimulation exercises can I do at home?

I've heard about cognitive stimulation, but I don't know where to start or how to adapt exercises without my father-in-law feeling tested or frustrated by making mistakes.

Cognitive stimulation at home doesn't require special materials or technical training — above all, it needs to be done without the pressure of "getting it right". The goal is never to test memory, but to exercise it in a light and enjoyable way, like keeping a muscle active.

Why it's important

Keeping the brain active, even with reduced abilities, helps preserve functions for longer and gives the person a sense of competence — something increasingly rare as the disease progresses. But the effect only exists if the activity is adapted to the stage: an exercise that is too difficult causes frustration and refusal; one that is too easy can seem infantilising.

Practical exercises by stage

• Early stage: simple sudoku, crosswords, image association games, describing old photographs in detail.
• Moderate stage: categorising objects (fruits, clothes, tools), completing well-known popular proverbs, games to identify smells or tastes.
• Advanced stage: recognising objects by touch, answering simple "yes/no" questions about photographs, following the rhythm of music by clapping hands.

How to conduct the session

Choose a time of day when the person is most alert and calm, usually mid-morning. Sessions of 15 to 20 minutes are sufficient — insisting beyond that tends to be counterproductive. Always use positive reinforcement, even when the answer is wrong ("Good try, let's look at another one"), and never correct abruptly. Drawers labelled with photos and words, or a board with the day's routine, also work as continuous cognitive stimulation, integrated into the environment.

"At first, I thought doing crosswords with my mum was a waste of time, because she didn't get many right anymore. But I realised that what mattered was for her to feel capable, and I saw that in her smile, not in the correct answers."

What NOT to do

• Do not turn the exercise into a test — avoid phrases like "don't you remember?" or "I've told you this before".
• Do not choose activities that are too childish or disconnected from the person's interests.
• Do not insist when visible frustration arises — stop and try another time.
• Do not compare performance with previous sessions or with other people.