Why Is It Important to Have Good Cognitive Health?

Age-related declines in cognitive health can be normal, but that doesn’t mean they have to reduce your parent’s quality of life. By taking steps to maintain or improve their cognitive health while they age, your parent can continue to live an independent and active lifestyle.

As your parent ages, it’s normal for their levels of mental ability to gradually change. These changes can include difficulties multitasking, paying attention, remembering minor chores and focusing for extended periods of time. There are several things that your parent can do to protect or even improve their cognitive health.

3 Ways to Improve Cognitive Health

Here are just some ways your parent can actively improve their cognitive health every day.

1. 1. Self-Care. Taking care of their physical health may help your parent improve their cognitive health. A few easy ways your parent can stay physically healthy is by getting regular health screenings, consulting with healthcare providers before taking medications and getting enough sleep each night. 

2. 2. Eat Healthy Foods. A healthy diet can help your parent reduce their risk of a variety of chronic diseases and may also help keep their brain healthy. Make sure your parent is staying hydrated and consuming a diet that’s rich in fruits and vegetables with controlled portion sizes. 

3. 3. Be Physically Active. Not only should your parent maintain their physical health through regular doctor visits, but they should also try to be physically active through regular exercise to help stimulate their mind.

6 Brain Healthy Activities for Seniors

Keeping your parent’s mind active is imperative to helping them improve their brain health and is the most effective way to help them actively improve their cognitive function. Here are a variety of stimulating activities that can help your parent’s cognitive function.

1. 1. Word Games. These can be an effective and fun way for your parent to engage their mind. Encourage your parent to take part in things like word searches, Sudoku and crossword puzzles to help improve their cognitive activity and keep their mind active. 

2. 2. Games and Puzzles. Games and puzzles can be great for your parent, as long as they are able to keep up with them. Make sure to choose games and puzzles that aren’t too advanced or complicated, to ensure your parent can enjoy them without feeling frustrated. 

3. 3. Chess & Strategy Games. Strategy games like checkers or chess helps stimulate multiple parts of the brain and are often used for educational purposes. Chess even has the ability to raise an individual’s IQ and help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. It also exercises both sides of the brain, increases creativity and improves memory, concentration, reading and decision-making skills. 

4. 4. Card Games. These are a simple way to help improve your parent’s cognitive function. Games like Poker, Solitaire, Go Fish and Memory Match can help stimulate parts of the brain responsible for logical problem-solving and memory retention. 

5. 5. Reading. Enjoying a good book, reading an article on the web or catching up with the daily news helps your parent stay informed and also can help improve a variety of cognitive functions. Reading helps spark the imagination, making it one of the most entertaining ways your parents can exercise their minds. 

6. 6. Activities Involving the Use of Hands. Activities that focus on hand-eye coordination and creativity can help exercise the brain. Things like knitting, sewing and playing an instrument can help your parent keep their minds sharp.

Experience Personalized, Compassionate Memory Care at Fellowship

At Fellowship Senior Living, we understand that having someone who needs memory care and is living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia can be very challenging. That’s why we provide many ways to help.

We have a state-of-the-art Memory Care program that utilizes a person-centered approach to help make every resident feel at home in a safe, welcoming environment. Our devoted team members are there every day to help care for your parent. Here are just some of our Memory Care amenities and services:

• Certified dementia practitioner
• Registered Dietitian
• Private suites
• High staff-to-resident ratios
• Registered nurses on site 24 hours a day
• On-site dietician
• On-site medical center
• State-of-the-art therapy gyms
• Physical, occupational and speech therapy,
• And much more!

Please contact us today at 908-580-3824 to learn more about our memory care program and all that it has to offer your parents.