How to Keep Seniors Mentally Active

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As we age, it's easy to experience feelings of depression and anxiety. The human body starts to wear and tear and the older we get the more prone we become to illnesses such as dementia and Parkinson's disease, which affect our ability to think with a sound mind. We may also require the need of certain medical devices like hearing aids or a cane to maintain the lifestyle we're accustomed to living. 

It's incredibly important to keep Seniors' minds active regardless of age or mental condition. A popular choice among families and Seniors is to age at home. When you work with home health care services for your loved ones that provide highly trained, professional, and compassionate Caregivers and Personal Support Workers (PSWs) who are able to support your loved one at all times, they'll always have someone around to mentally engage with.

Even when you want to be, you can't always be there for your family member or friend. A professional PSW from the right home healthcare service provider will deliver outstanding support and care, including engaging mental stimulation utilizing games and activities that can be initiated from the comforts of home.

Keeping Seniors mentally active should become even more of a priority if your loved one is showing signs of dementia or if he or she has already been diagnosed. 

The following activities can increase Seniors' mental alertness. Consider integrating them into their daily routine.

Play Mind Games and Puzzles 

Anything that can trigger memory muscle is a wonderful tool to keep Seniors' minds active and alert. Crossword puzzles, word searches, dominoes, you name it - a daily dose of a mind game can go a long way.

These types of games can improve creativity, memory, and decision-making abilities. Even a fun round of a simple card game such as "Crazy 8s" can have beneficial effects on the brain!

Encourage Them to Write

Your loved one's Caregiver can provide a healthy amount of encouragement to your loved one to keep a daily journal. 

A recent study has shown that handwriting helps stimulate the parts of the brain that are linked to memory, language, and thinking. Encouraging loved ones to write about memories, what's going on now, even just what they did that day or what they plan to do tomorrow are all significant ways to increase brain function.

Plus, it might become a fun daily ritual, especially if they are already prone to creative writing or have kept a journal in the past.

Encourage Them to Read

Much like its writing counterpart, reading is extremely beneficial to brain health. Research has shown that in addition to participating in other cognitive activities, reading can lead to a 50% decrease in the chances of developing dementia. 

Allow your loved one's Caregiver to read with them for half an hour per day. If reading long novels is difficult, perhaps find collections of short stories so that they can read one story per day.

Engage in Light Physical Activity

It's no myth that physical activity increases blood flow to the brain and activates endorphins. Engaging your loved one in some light stretching or aerobics will encourage brain activity, making them feel sharper and happier.

Don't let your loved one lie around watching television all day. Keep their minds active with these engaging activities.