Apart from the various number of tasks that in-home care workers can help seniors with, including personal and household care, they can also assist with memory exercises for seniors. But what is the benefit of brain games and what sort of activities are the best option for your senior loved one? In this article, we explore the answers to these questions in more detail. Let’s take a closer look below.
What is the importance of brain games for the elderly?
Just like our physical body requires exercise to stay fit, healthy and strong, so do our brains. Even though we may not pay it much attention, exercising the brain is an essential part of living a healthy life. In fact, there are numerous benefits of memory games for adults, some of which include the following:
- They help to ward off conditions like dementia by improving memory capabilities
- They improve cognitive functions and boost brain power
- They can be a stimulant for socialising more
- Brain games and activities also foster a greater sense of independence
- They increase one’s understanding of one’s surroundings better
- Motor skills such as drawing and writing can be improved
- Concentration levels can be improved as well
- Faster thinking can be encouraged
- Hand-eye coordination can be improved, and
- Reaction times will increase
Other benefits include:
- Developing social skills
- Feeling more positive and less anxious or depressed
- Raising self-esteem and increasing one’s confidence in their abilities
- Maintaining physical, mental and social skills
- Expressing feelings and connecting with others, and
- Sharing experiences with other people.
Types of board games and activities your loved one can enjoy
With all the benefits of brain games and activities mentioned above, it’s no wonder that mind stimulating games for seniors play a vital role in their mental and physical well-being. As such, we’ve prepared a short list of some of the brain games for seniors with dementia can enjoy to help ward off memory problems and keep them at bay for as long as possible. Let’s take a closer look at some of the options available.
Board and card games
These games come in many different varieties but they have one thing in common: they have important health benefits including relieving stress and depression. In addition, they help with memory loss and improve cognitive skills.
Chess
The beauty of chess is that it can be learned very quickly and it can be played both on a board and online. It’s a strategy game that can boost one’s IQ as well as levels of focus.
Qwirkle
This is a game that combines matching colours and shapes while at the same time using maths and strategy to get higher scores. As a Mensa Select Award winner, it is a good way to flex one’s mental muscles.
Solitaire
This is a card game that can be played on one’s own and is good for those who still want to engage their minds but take things at their own pace. The game involves arranging cards in a particular order and once again, is a great boost to concentration and memory skills.
Puzzles, crosswords and activity games
Puzzles
These come in a wide variety of options – from word to jigsaw to logic puzzles. There is no time limit to finish the puzzle and the rewards of completion are very much worth it.
Crosswords
A great activity for sharpening one’s vocabulary and testing one’s general knowledge, crosswords can be found in many places and they’re easy and affordable to get a hold of.
Connection games
These games are available in different formats but the underlying assumption is that connections must be made between certain words to arrive at the correct answer.
Crafts
The final activity on our list today is crafts. This is something that practically anyone can enjoy whether they feel they have the talent for it or not. Crafts manifest themselves in many different ways and can be as affordable as you like. For example, you can upcycle a picture frame or go more complex and create the frame from scratch. Using one’s hands and imagination is not only great for physical dexterity but mental improvements as well. Some examples of crafts that one could engage in include:
- Painting
- Scrapbooking, and
- Knitting
Concluding remarks
If you have a loved one who needs dementia care at home, you are in safe hands with Walfinch. This is because our carers go beyond the typical personal and housekeeping duties and can take greater care of your loved one by helping to stimulate their minds and flex their mental muscles for greater concentration, decreased levels of stress and anxiety as well ensuring more social and outgoing activities for their general well-being. With all the benefits of mental games and exercises as well as fun activities, your loved one will always be in good hands when looked after by one of our in-home carers.
