How can I entertain a person who has dementia?

Sing, be friendly, laugh with them. Let them tell you stories.

Do activities that keep him/them engaged. That will depend a great deal on how severe the dementia is.
If you could give me more details I could be more helpful. What is your job position? How severely demented are the clients? How many will you be working with at a time… A group, one on one?
I wish you well on your new job!

My mom does home health physical therapy and has an old man as a patient with severe Alzheimer’s (not the same, I know, but close). She took the Wii over and had him play baseball. She said he had the time of his life.

When my mother was diagnosed with senile dementia two year’s ago, the Nurse/Administrator suggested that we read a book called “Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s,” by Joanne Koenig Costa

Here’s a terrific summary: http://www.alzinfo.org/newsarticle/templates/archivenewstemplate.asp?articleid=47&zoneid=6

We found it enormously helpful, clearly written and easy to understand.

Go with the flow. If they want to tell you a story for the sixth time, listen. If they want to laugh, laugh with them. If they want to just sit, at least help them sit in a pleasant spot. If they ask you who you are every fifteen minutes, tell them.

Ask them about things that seem to spark an interest in them. That may take time as you will have to get to know them and something of their history, but you will gradually come to be able to do that.

Try playing games with them that they might have played when they were a child. Sometimes those are the last memories to go.

Show them pictures of things they may have seen and see if that sparks an interest.

And last, but not least, be kind.

I agree with Darwin’s answer, which is excellent.

Never correct them on reality (it is upsetting).

Sometimes, especially women, like to hold infant dolls.

@Marina That makes me sad for them…(the doll part)

@essieness Dementia is very sad. For late stage patients, it seems to ease their anxiety. Apparently, it is a very basic human instinct.

My mother still likes to play Scrabble; we just have to be patient with her.