TABLE 3.

Activity-based connections.

Theme	Examples
Everyday activities	“Last night we ate on our patio and he asked if I would turn Alexa on to play music. And as we finished our meal I was walking him back to our sitting area in the bedroom and one of the songs that came on was a romantic song. He used to be an extraordinary, award-winning dancer. So, I took his arms and held on to him and we danced for a few minutes. It was pretty special.” “Sitting down over lunch, raking leaves together, and now we have gone to do little dancing at the senior center. That’s been a connection” “I think that he likes to go for a drive and he always likes to drive where he grew up. This is something that we enjoy doing together.”
Reminiscing	“Several times, we have spent more time going over family album pictures and talking about the past.” “When she talks about things from the past out on the patio. She feels most connected to memories from being a younger woman.
Activities of caregiving	“Taking care of her here, you are connected almost all the time. I cannot really specify one exact moment.”
Novel experiences	“We had a date day. It was wonderful, we went to get our nails clipped and get our hair done, we took pictures after. It was wonderful. We have not had a date in a very long time” “Being able to make a trip to Des Moines. That was really important to both of us. It helped us feel connected to people and we were so happy to make a trip away from home.”
Spending time with family and friends	“Around enjoyment with family, lots of family events. We see family a lot and it is delightful to see him so happy with grandchildren.” “The arena that is our biggest focus is on our children and grandchildren and their successes. When we get good news about their lives that’s a really wonderful time for us together.”