Keeping the mind sharp as we age is just as important as staying in good health. Like maintaining good physical health, being proactive and exercising the brain is one of the best ways to keep it in the best shape. You or a companion care at home aide can help your loved one keep the mind sharp with games or exercises of the brain.
How the Brain Ages
Like the rest of the body, the brain goes through changes as a person ages. Some of them are easily noticeable to others such as caregivers, but other changes are not noticed until long after they have occurred. Blood flow often decreases to the brain, and the part of the brain responsible for complex thoughts and memory may shrink. These changes are natural but with consistent exercise to the brain, your loved one may reduce the effects of them.
Great Brain Games for the Elderly
Engaging in regular games or exercises of the brain, will help your loved one stay more alert and boost her self-confidence. Let’s look at five fun games that provide a great workout for the brain. Your loved one may be able to do some of these on her own, others can be played one-on-one with you or a companion care at home provider, and others require a group setting such as a family get-together or having some friends over.
Puzzles. Puzzles require little to no setup (just make sure the table is large enough for the completed puzzle once it’s finished). And while they seem simple, working a puzzle works the brain in multiple ways. Seeing a space, and then looking for a piece to fill that spot, creates connections in the brain as it works on memory, problem-solving, and concentration to find the right piece. Puzzles are also great for providing mini-hits of dopamine each time the right piece is located. And while puzzles can easily be done alone, it can also be a nice quiet activity to do side-by-side with someone like a companion care at home provider.
Crossword Puzzles. Crossword puzzles provide a brain workout by engaging multiple areas of the brain such as accessing the place where memories are stored and working out the areas where problems are solved. Crossword puzzles come in wide ranges of ease and can also focus on areas that may interest your loved one. If your loved one has always been a huge sports fan, find crossword puzzles that focus on sports facts to make it fun and provide a positive experience.
Trivia Games. Trivia is great at making the mind dig into its recesses to find the answer that is buried in there. Your loved one can play online trivia games if alone, or engage in a trivia board game with his companion care at home provider during visits.
Bingo. Bingo is a fun game that the whole family can enjoy together so it’s perfect for those family holiday get-togethers. Bingo uses cognitive skills such as searching for the number on the board and then being quick to notice when a winning pattern has happened.
Card Matching Game. This is a fun one-on-one game your loved one can play with a family member or his companion care at home provider. It’s great for keeping those short-term memory skills finely honed.
Exercising the brain can be a lot of fun so incorporate it often into your senior’s day whether it’s staying at home, riding in the car, or waiting for an appointment. Your senior can never play too much.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Companion Care at Home Services in Rockville Center NY, please get in touch with the caring staff at Star Multi Care today. Call (631) 424-7827
Star Multi Care is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving Long Island and in NYC including Dix Hills, Floral Park, Great Neck, Huntington, Manhasset, Massapequa, Northport, Plainview, Rockville Center, Stonybrook, Suffolk County, Nassau County, and Queens County.
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