Brain Games for Seniors

While many seniors will never show any signs of cognitive decline, there is a growing number that do experience a loss of skills and abilities to varying degrees as they age. While this can’t always be prevented, with cases like Alzheimer’s or other debilitating diseases, there are many ways to prevent the decline or slow it down. Just like any muscle in the body, your brain requires regular exercise to stay healthy, and a healthy brain will help you live a healthy life.

Here are a few ways to keep your mind sharp as a tack as you age:

• Creative work like painting or writing is a great way to keep the brain sharp and engaged as you age. You don’t need to write the next New York Times best seller, even short stories will get the creative juices flowing. Then draw or paint some illustrations to go with the story.
• Exercise is a great way to keep your brain in shape. Most people wouldn’t thing that exercise is important for mental health but every movement you make is connected to your brain, plus it gets the blood flowing and keeps you healthy.
• Learning new skills or a new language will keep your brain active and healthy. While many seniors feel that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” this is just an easy excuse. The fact is that you can continue learning at any age and mastering a new skill, even simple ones goes a long way.
• Online gaming, while foreign to many seniors, can be an excellent way to engage your brain. And while this may be intimidating for many, this is the perfect example to learn a new skill. And this is also a great way to connect with younger family members who play online games with tablets or smart phones.
• Board Games and Table Top Games are an excellent way to train your brain, including:
  • Scrabble
  • Mahjong
  • Chess
  • Checkers
  • Backgammon
  • And any number of card games
• Or even simpler, just read a good book. You can find many free classics available on e-readers and tablets, or visit your local library and ask for a new book or an old classic you can spend some time reading.

If you have any concerns or would like some help living more comfortably at home, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1-866-982-2737 and speak with some about setting up an at home care assessment today.