Jigsaws, paints and other products designed for people with dementia

We took a range of activity products to a group of people with dementia in Horsham who call themselves the Rusty Brains. They meet monthly to share far from rusty opinions and news, also leading initiatives to make their communities better places to live for people affected by dementia. 

The group tried out jigsaws, new Aquapaint sets, reminiscence cards, marble mazes and Tactile Turns, all from Relish. 

Jigsaw puzzles 

Four 100-piece jigsaw puzzles were a big success with the group. Many worked on them in pairs, sometimes getting quite competitive about who’d complete theirs first! 

The designs – Sunset in Paris, Jungle Life, Island Paradise and Great Outdoors – are bright and colourful, with many interesting elements. They include prompts for conversation as well as the completed image inside each box lid. 

Jill and Diana said the puzzles were good quality with robust pieces. Diana thought the pieces might be too small for some, and was reassured that there were also 13-, 35- and 63-piece jigsaws in the same range. 

Diana said she usually hated doing jigsaws but was enjoying doing one with someone else. Jill thought they’d also be great to keep you entertained on your own. 

They both liked the Sunset in Paris picture, even though they didn’t think it was very realistic, and it prompted a conversation about French culture and language. 

Roger was pleased to finish his jigsaw and immediately started another. Paul said that working on the Jungle Life puzzle with Ian was ‘like sharing brains’. 

David was so keen on the Great Outdoors jigsaw that he took it home to finish with his grandsons. 

Aquapaint sets 

Aquapaints – outline pictures that reveal full-colour images when ‘painted’ with water – have been popular for years, and Relish has produced two new sets. Each includes five different images, and you only need water and your own brush to use them.

People enjoyed trying the new Coastal Escape and Magnificent Birds sets but found them too easy to spend much time on. This made sense since these products are designed to suit people whose dementia is a bit more advanced than that of the group’s members. 

Still, when Jim saw the effect of water in producing the complete images, he said, ‘This is amazing!’ 

The colours disappear when the water dries, which means the resilient, laminated sheets can be used again and again. Since they only use water, there’s less mess if there are any spills. 

People take different approaches to the Aquapaint images, some brushing across the whole sheet and others carefully ‘painting’ within outlined areas. David, Jim, Paul and Ian were firmly in the latter camp. 

Reminiscence cards 

Relish shared two sets of reminiscence cards that they’re planning to update, drawing on feedback from the group and others. 

The Home Album and Animal Album each include 15 large cards with clear images on one side that date from the 1950s–1970s. On their reverse, the cards have questions to spark reminiscence and conversation. 

Looking at the cards prompted memories of being in Hong Kong for Trevor and of past pet dogs for Eddie, while Mary and Jim ended up chatting for 20 minutes. 

Some of the pictures, designed to be old-fashioned, also reflect outdated attitudes about gender roles. This sparked conversation about how things have changed and how roles within the home and society have progressed. 

Diane also noted how this could ring false with some people’s experiences of earlier times, saying, ‘My husband used to do most of the housework!’

Tilts and turns 

Two other products were designed for people with more mid and late stage dementia, but the group tried them out for us too. 

The Circuit Maze is a marble maze, which you hold with both hands and tilt to move the marble from one end to the other. It’s designed to help people with visual impairments and difficulties in handing objects, with a lightweight wooden frame, curved corners and high-contrast colours. 

Although group members found the maze a little too easy to do, Bob said it was fun. There was a sense of surprise and achievement when he and Mary completed it. 

The Tactile Turn is a cleverly made ring of textile folds that you can turn and turn again for as long as you like. It’s designed to be comforting and soothing for people who might otherwise feel agitated or restless. 

Mary noted the Tactile Turn’s soft feel, while it reminded Jim of folded paper ‘fortune tellers’ from his childhood. 

The Tactile Turn has four different textures and three colours, and it’s machine washable.

Prices (correct at September 2022)

• 100-piece jigsaw puzzles – £14.16 plus VAT. 
• Aquapaint sets – £16.66 plus VAT. 
• Circuit Maze – £16.66 plus VAT. 
• Tactile Turn – £20.82 plus VAT 

As with some other specially designed products, you don’t have to pay VAT on these if they’re for use by a person with dementia – tick the box stating that you’re eligible for VAT relief at checkout.