There is something special about fall in the Lehigh Valley.
The first cool morning. The smell of apple cider. Pumpkins appearing on front porches. Leaves beginning to change along South Mountain. And families heading to local orchards and farms for traditions that may go back generations.
For a person living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, these familiar fall experiences can be more than a pleasant afternoon. They can provide opportunities for sensory stimulation, gentle physical activity, reminiscence and, most importantly, meaningful time with the people they love.
Fall Engages the Senses
Think about everything you experience during a trip to an orchard.
You feel the cool breeze. You smell apples, leaves and freshly cut grass. You hear children laughing or a tractor making its way through a field. You hold an apple in your hand, see rows of colorful pumpkins and perhaps taste a warm apple cider donut.
For someone living with dementia, those sensory experiences can be particularly meaningful.
The Alzheimer’s Association notes that contact with nature can support wellbeing, reduce stress and stimulate the senses through experiences such as listening to birds, watching wildlife and touching leaves.
Sometimes a familiar smell or taste may even provide a bridge to the past.
An apple doesn’t require someone to remember a date or a name. Instead, its smell might remind Mom of making apple pie in her kitchen. A pumpkin might lead Dad to talk about taking his children trick-or-treating. A tractor could bring back memories of growing up on a farm.
Don’t worry about whether every memory is historically accurate. Enjoy the story and the moment.
Familiar Traditions Can Open Doors
Many Lehigh Valley families have visited the same farms and orchards for decades.
Today, families can still visit places such as Grim’s Orchard & Family Farms in Breinigsville for apple and pumpkin picking, or head north to Seiple Farms in Bath for its traditional pumpkin season. Local fall destinations offer everything from hayrides and farm animals to pumpkins, apples and seasonal foods.
Closer to the Emmaus and southern Lehigh Valley area, families might enjoy a simpler stop at Hausman Fruit Farm in Coopersburg, Bobwhite Acres or Pappy’s Orchard & Lisa’s Kitchen.
The destination isn’t nearly as important as the experience.
In fact, simpler may be better.
Don’t Try to Do Everything
A common mistake families make is approaching an outing with someone living with dementia the same way they might plan an outing with grandchildren.
You don’t have to conquer the corn maze, pick a bushel of apples, take the hayride, eat lunch and find the biggest pumpkin in Pennsylvania.
An hour at the orchard may be wonderful.
Twenty minutes might be enough.
The Alzheimer’s Association recommends adapting activities to a person’s abilities and continuing activities the individual has historically enjoyed. A large gathering can sometimes become overwhelming, while a smaller or quieter experience may be much more successful.
Consider visiting on a weekday morning rather than a busy Saturday afternoon. Choose an orchard with easy walking surfaces. Know where the restrooms and seating areas are. Watch for signs of fatigue, anxiety or overstimulation.
Most importantly, be willing to change the plan.
If Dad is enjoying sitting on a bench eating an apple, you don’t need to convince him to go on the hayride.
That moment is the activity.
Ask Questions That Invite Stories
Fall outings also provide wonderful conversation starters.
Rather than quizzing your loved one — “Do you remember when we came here in 1987?” — use open-ended observations and questions.
“Those apples smell wonderful.”
“Did your mother ever make apple pie?”
“Which pumpkin do you like?”
“Did you rake leaves when you were a kid?”
“What did you do for Halloween?”
Maybe you’ll hear a story you’ve heard 20 times.
Listen for the 21st.
Penn State Extension Lehigh Valley recently highlighted the importance of meaningful engagement for people living with dementia, including simple sensory pleasures such as smelling familiar foods, tasting favorite foods, hearing familiar sounds, touching objects, seeing children playing and even taking car rides to experience seasonal changes.
Those are exactly the kinds of experiences autumn in the Lehigh Valley provides.
Bring Fall Home, Too
Not everyone living with dementia can comfortably visit an orchard or pumpkin patch.
That’s okay.
Bring fall to them.
Pick up several varieties of local apples and have a simple taste test. Make applesauce together. Decorate a small pumpkin. Bake an apple crisp. Fill a basket with leaves, pinecones, gourds and other fall items that can be touched and examined.
Take a drive through the Lehigh Valley countryside to look at changing leaves. The passenger doesn’t need to remember where you went for the drive to be worthwhile.
And if your loved one once had a favorite fall tradition, recreate a small piece of it.
The Memory Isn’t the Measure of the Moment
Families sometimes wonder whether activities are worthwhile when their loved one won’t remember them later.
Try looking at it differently.
If Mom smiles while drinking cider, the moment mattered.
If Dad laughs when his grandson struggles to carry an enormous pumpkin, the moment mattered.
If Grandma holds your hand during a quiet walk through an orchard, the moment mattered.
At South Mountain Memory Care in Emmaus, we believe meaningful living isn’t measured by how much someone remembers tomorrow. It’s also found in the comfort, happiness, dignity and connection they experience today.
This fall, take advantage of one of the Lehigh Valley’s greatest gifts: the changing seasons.
Pick an apple. Find a pumpkin. Take a country drive.
And don’t worry so much about creating a memory that will last forever.
Create a moment that matters right now.
If your family is navigating Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia and beginning to consider additional support, South Mountain Memory Care welcomes you to learn more about our specialized, home-like approach to memory care in Emmaus. Contact us to schedule your tour at 610-965-7662.
