Elderly people with dementia, usually caused by a disease such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, often have fond memories of Santa Claus from their youth. A quiz about Saint Nicholas can evoke memories from their long-term memory in these elderly people. Such a quiz that fits in with the season can also help seniors with dementia to orient themselves to the time. After all, the birthday of the Good Heiligman belongs to December. December, the festive month par excellence. These seniors often become ‘disoriented in time’ due to dementia: they no longer know what day or month or year it is. Do you realize that Sinterklaas used to be celebrated differently: some sprinkles and a gift that someone needed. Knitted mittens, hats, scarves or socks in a shoe and a handful of gingerbread nuts after singing by the chimney. But the fun was no less.

Questions and answers for a quiz about Sinterklaas for people with Alzheimer’s

The very first thing you need for a quiz about Santa Claus is of course a number of simple questions and answers. For this group of elderly people it is important that the questions are simple. At the same time, the quiz questions should not be childish. Because the Sinterklaas celebration is both a celebration from their youth and from their adult years, the elderly with a form of dementia will not easily experience a Sinterklaas quiz as childish. Moreover, the quiz will bring back many memories.

Examples of questions for a quiz about Saint Nicholas for elderly people with a disease that causes dementia

1. Which country does Sinterklaas come from?
2. What means of transport does Sint come to the Netherlands?
3. What are the names of Saint Nicholas’s servants?
4. What is the name of Sinterklaas’ hat?
5. What is on Santa’s hat?
6. Who is the ‘Good Holy Man’?
7. What is Saint Nicholas’ cloak called?
8. What do the Pieten sprinkle with?
9. Who used to have to go into Piet’s pocket?
10. What fabric is Santa’s bag made of?
11. What animal does Saint Nicholas ride?
12. When do we celebrate the birthday of the Good Heiligman?
13. What kind of horse does Santa ride over the roofs?
14. How do the Pieten ensure that the presents reach the children?
15. What do the children do in their shoes on the evening before Saint Nicholas?
16. What is in Saint’s big book?
17. Who, according to the stories, gets Piet’s rod?
18. What are ‘the apples of Orange’?
19. What color are Sinterklaas’ cloak and hat?
20. What does Sint mean in Sint-Nicolaas?

The answers to these questions from the Sintquiz for elderly people with dementia

1. Saint comes from Spain (According to the story, however, he was born in Myra, in Turkey)
2. Santa Claus comes with the steamboat
3. The servants of Saint Nicholas are Pieten
4. Sinterklaas’ hat is called a miter
5. Sinterklaas’ hat or miter has a golden cross on it
6. The Good Saint is Saint Nicholas himself
7. Saint Nicholas’ cloak is called a tabard
8. Gingerbread nuts (Sprinkles is also a correct answer)
9. Naughty children used to have to go into Piet’s pocket
10. Saint Nicholas’ bag is made of jute
11. Saint rides on a horse.
12. On December 5th we celebrate Sinterklaas’ birthday
13. The horse with which Saint Nicholas rides over the roofs at night is a fungus
14. The Pieten put the presents in the chimney
15. Children often put a carrot for Saint Nicholas’ horse in their shoe (and sometimes a wish list)
16. The big book of Saint Nicholas shows which children were sweet or sweet and which children were naughty
17. Naughty children used to get the rod from Piet
18. ‘The apples of orange’ are oranges
19. The cloak (tabberd) and hat (mitre) are both red
20. Saint in ‘Sint Nicolaas’ means ‘holy’

What else to do at a Sinterklaas party with elderly clients suffering from Alzheimer’s? Tips

Tip 1: Singing Sinterklaas songs

At a Sinterklaas party for this group, some old well-known Sinterklaas songs should of course be sung or listened to! For people who were unable to participate in the quiz, this is a great opportunity to actively participate. Adding texts in large letters is nice. If you can’t sing, you can still read or watch something. But because the family used to sing a lot together, the elderly often still know these lyrics quite well. Moreover, music often remains stored in the memory of the elderly for a long time. You can alternate the songs with the quiz questions if necessary. Or you can take the Sinterklaas quiz about the songs of Saint Nicholas.Think of songs like:

• See yonder comes the steamboat;
• Sinterklaas, come on in;
• Sinterklaas capo;
• See the moon shining through the trees;
• Sinterklaas’ bag;
• Sinterklaasje bonne, bonne, bonne;
• Bye Sinterklaasje, bye, bye Black Pete

Tip 2: Treat patients with dementia to sprinkles that belong to Sinterklaas

It is fun to treat the elderly with dementia to Sinterklaas sweets. And there is plenty to snack on on Sinterklaas. Just consider:

• Chocolate letters;
• Peppernuts;
• Gingerbread buttons;
• Tough tough;
• Chestplate;
• Candy;
• Stuffed Speculoos;
• Small speculaas biscuits;
• Gingerbread Man;
• Banquet Bar;
• Marzipan;
• Chocolate money or chocolate coins;
• Chocolatemilk;

Those with a sweet tooth get treats, right? But you should choose sprinkles or treats that are easy to eat. Chocolate letters are much too hard of course. The same applies to real gingerbread nuts: also much too hard. Tough tough, well, that quickly becomes… tough. Candy is also quite hard. But there were also marzipan meringues and sweets at Sinterklaas’s feast.As for drinking during this activity, it is nice if people can also opt for hot chocolate in addition to coffee or tea .

Tip 3: Decorate the room where you celebrate Saint Nicholas with very elderly clients with brain damage

Of course it is fun, although this was not the custom in the past, to decorate the room festively, for example with little Pietjes and a Sinterklaas. A real Sinterklaas bag is also a festive decoration. Empty boxes wrapped in Sinterklaas paper are often hung up or placed down, because it looks so cozy and because presents are part of the Sinterklaas celebration.But be aware that empty gift-wrapped boxes lying on the table can be confusing for the elderly with Alzheimer’s, vascular or fronto-temporal dementia. They can mistake those boxes wrapped in Sinterklaas paper for real gifts! When someone unwraps such a present, he or she may be genuinely disappointed. Because Santa calls for gifts, right?So if you use wrapped empty packages as decorations, don’t put them on the table for grabs. Now let Santa come! Our hearts beat with anticipation!

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