Friday 11 January 2019

Useful Memory Activities For Seniors

By Paul Edwards


A bit of memory loss (amnesia) is a common feature of advancing age. Affected persons tend to struggle with recalling recent events but their long term memory is largely intact. In the modern world where virtually all important information is protected by secret PINs and passwords, this presents a major challenge for many seniors. Fortunately, there are a number of Memory activities for seniors to take part in and improve their ability to recall vital information.

Solving puzzles is a time tested solution for keeping amnesia at bay. They are effective in all age groups including seniors. Crossword puzzles involving words or numbers are particularly useful. Many of these exercises are quite simple and do not require intelligent solutions. Rather they are based in simple logic. Engaging in such exercises on a daily basis has tremendous long term benefits.

Sensory stimulation is a strategy that keeps all the major senses engaged. It entails making a deliberate effort to engage all the five senses with the aim of maintaining neural connections. To keep the sense of hearing engaged, for example, one may listen to some beautiful music on a regular basis. Tasting a delicious meal will an engage the sense of taste. And an attractive seen maintains visual pathways.

Board games are also an important training tool. The most common types include chess and checkers. Apart from enhancing recall ability, the games also keep cognitive ability intact. The reason for this is that players have to anticipate moves likely to be made by their opponents if they are to win. Many of these games have been developed into android applications making them readily available.

Simple as it sounds, regular reading is an important exercise for enhancing memory. It is especially useful for what is referred to as word recall. Materials that may be read are many and varied. Historical information than the senior is familiar with is likely to be more useful as it will help trigger memories of what they have always known. Frequency of reading rather than volumes read should be emphasized.

Learning on a continuous basis is healthy for the brain. Seniors should make sure that they expose themselves to new knowledge and skills. Learning something new is both exciting and challenging. One has to actively remember new information which is important in keeping the memory intact. Some of the new skills will include, for example, learning new musical instruments, learning new recipes and even new languages.

A healthy body is a healthy mind. Regularly exercising is beneficial to all cells in the body including the neurons. There is a need to exercise regularly. Exercise helps get rid of stress and improves blood flow to the brain. The result is a general improvement of brain function. Exercises such as brisk walking jogging and cycling are considered effective. Regular exercise should be accompanied by a well balanced diet.

The problem of memory loss is one that effects many seniors. The seriousness does vary from one person to another with some people having more severe symptoms due to the presence of Alzheimer disease. The secret to minimizing this problem is to remain active even in old age.




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