Skip the television viewing with your elderly loved one and pull out the game boards for a home activity helping with all of your brain muscles. Cognitive exercises for seniors keep their minds working for longer and avoid the development of dementia. Turn your time with your loved one into something helping their mind stay vital for cognitive recognition.
Cognitive Exercises for Seniors to Try with Your Loved One
Studies show brain activities for seniors prove it fights degeneration and possibly even reverse effects of memory loss. The brain is like every other muscle in your body—it needs to be worked out to get in shape and grow stronger. Unlike other muscles in your body, however, you don’t have to hit the gym or hop on a bicycle to get a good workout.
Here are four simple activities for brain health to try with your senior or disabled loved one.
Stories of yesteryears
One of our first cognitive exercises for seniors isn’t exactly a game but still helps strengthen the brain muscle. Pull up a comfortable chair next to your senior loved one, pour a cup of coffee, and ask them about their past. Recalling events from the past can improve the memory of older adults. Luckily, this home activity doesn’t have to take place at any particular time of the day.
Make it a part of your routine to ask your senior family member about their life. Encourage your children, friends, and other family members to do the same. Not only can this improve cognitive function in disabled senior loved ones, but it can also improve emotional health.
Bring on the game boards
Board games and puzzles often serve as great memory exercises. Challenging your senior loved one to a board game can engage them and help them quietly strengthen their brain.
Different board games offer various benefits, similar to switching up your gym routine every now and then.
Try out different puzzles and games to affect multiple parts of the brain to strengthen it as a whole. Brain games involving the entire family are also an excellent way for your senior loved one to develop stronger relationships with other family members.
Brain workout
You don’t have to break a sweat with these cognitive exercises for seniors. Try tapping your right hand on the table, at the same time, make a circle with your left one. Then, try the motions on the opposite hand.
In the morning, encourage your senior loved one to brush their teeth with the opposite hand than they usually do. Then later in the day, have your senior loved one write a letter to a friend using their non-dominant hand. These switch-ups can help improve fine motor skills while also stimulating the brain.
Online resources for brain games
The AARP has recognized the importance of brain games in cognitive function. They offer many online brain games to help get brains in shape. There are also tons of apps available to download on your phone or tablet that your senior loved one can try out.
Our Expressions Program is a Brain Gym
When your senior loved one spends their days at Nevada Adult Day Healthcare Centers, they get to flex their brain muscles thanks to our cognitive Expressions Program full of helpful social activities. Visit one of our centers today to see our brain gym in action!
