Just like our bodies need to constantly be moving and exercising to stay in shape, the same is true about the brain, which is simply another muscle in the body. As our brains and body get older, they can also begin to fall into disrepair if we don’t get them exercised, so help your elderly parent keep her brain in top shape by either introducing some of the following puzzle exercises to her or join her for one of two of them.
Jigsaw Puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles are a great form of exercise for the brain for spatial and short-term memory. Your parent will have to remember what colors she is seeking or what puzzle piece shape. Puzzles are also a great source of “dopamine hits.” For many, each time a piece is locked into its proper place, the brain reacts with a hit of dopamine. Dopamine has been shown to help concentration. If puzzles are your parent’s thing, help her set up a well-lit area with comfortable seating for her to enjoy her puzzles. Your senior care provider can easily help with this task. If your parent is willing, either you or her senior care provider can join in the fun as well.
Crossword Puzzles
Studies have shown a strong link between doing crossword puzzles and the delay of dementia in elderly individuals. They can help the brain practice accessing facts and trivia that has been stored for decades. Help your parent find different styles or brands of crossword puzzles so that the brain continues to get new stimulation from different questions.
Sudoku Puzzles
These nine-square puzzles are a great workout for your parent’s brain. Found in newspapers for ages, you can also purchase books of multiple puzzles for your parent to do wherever she is at – waiting for a doctor appointment or taking a long car ride. Because your parent’s brain is mentally rearranging numbers and having to remember which numbers she’s thinking of putting in which square, sudoku puzzles work on memory part of the brain.
Rebus Puzzles
Rebus puzzles contain images, pictures, letters, and numbers to try to creatively create a word or phrase such as listing the words “trouble trouble” to mean “double trouble.” These puzzles require your parent to think out of the box and be a bit more creative with seeking answers to the clues.
Cryptic Puzzles
These types of puzzles usually require the player(s) to solve several clues before an answer can be found. Think of board games like Clue or the now popular “Escape Rooms” that entertain guests by locking them in a room with the only hope of escape is puzzling out an answer to the room’s question. Murder mystery games are also cryptic puzzles. Cryptic puzzles are often best done with friends or family, so have while going out right now is limited for Escape Rooms, your parent could set up a game of Clue to play with you, her senior care provider or anyone else that is safely able to visit.
Why not have a little fun while working out the brain? The best kind of work out is the one you don’t even know is happening, so by helping your parent work on some of these puzzles, she’ll be both entertained and get a great brain work out.
Source: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/64418/11-unforgettable-games-improve-your-memory
If you or an aging loved one is considering hiring senior care in Mountain View, CA, please contact the caring staff at Home Helpers today (408) 317-4969.
