Enhancing Cognitive Health in Senior Living
ge-related declines in cognitive health are normal, but they don’t have to reduce your parent’s quality of life. By taking steps to maintain or improve cognitive health, your parent can continue to live an independent and active lifestyle.
As we age, it’s common for mental abilities to change, including difficulties with multitasking, paying attention, remembering minor chores, and focusing for extended periods. However, there are strategies your parent can adopt 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:
Self-Care: Taking care of their physical and mental health may help improve cognitive health. Getting regular health screenings, getting enough sleep each night, and keeping a in touch with friends and family can all enhance cognitive health.
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.
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 crucial for improving brain health and cognitive function. Here are various stimulating activities that can enhance cognitive function in a senior living community:
Word Games: These can be an effective and fun way to engage the mind. Encourage your parent to do word searches, Sudoku, and crossword puzzles to help improve their cognitive activity and keep their mind active.
Games and Puzzles: Games and puzzles can be great for your parent, just make sure to choose games and puzzles that aren’t too advanced or complicated, so they can enjoy them without feeling frustrated.
Chess & Strategy Games: Strategy games like checkers or chess help 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 fight cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s, and other forms of dementia. These exercise both sides of the brain, increases creativity, and improves memory, concentration, reading, and decision-making skills.
Card Games: Games like Poker, Solitaire, Go Fish, and Memory Match can help stimulate parts of the brain responsible for logical problem-solving and memory retention.
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.
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.
Living in a retirement community can help cognitive health by providing seniors with opportunities for social engagement, mental stimulation through various activities, and access to wellness programs that promote overall brain health. If your parent’s cognitive health has declined to the point of needing additional assistance, a special Memory Care neighborhood may be right for them.
Experience Personalized, Compassionate Memory Care
At FellowshipLIFE, 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 to learn more about our memory care program and all that it has to offer your parents.
