Tips to Help Maintain a Senior’s Memory
Memory loss is a common part of the aging process, but it does not mean that the affected seniors have dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. At St. Bernardine Care Providers, our staff works with the elderly population in Victorville, Apple Valley, and the High Desert area of Southern California. Our staff helps to keep memory loss at bay by engaging our seniors in activities that will encourage memorization and staying active.
Tips to Help Maintain Memory
While some memory loss is expected in the elderly, with a little work their memory can be maintained. The following activities will help keep their memories sharp.
- Scrapbooking photos of family and friends
- Word puzzles (find-a-word, crossword, jumbles, etc.)
- Jigsaw puzzles
- Reading
- Hobbies
If an elderly person is unable to do or does not enjoy any of the common activities listed above, you can help them find something they enjoy that is also mentally stimulating.
Socialization
Elderly people should never be allowed to become isolated, as it can lead to severe depression and a negative experience of their remaining years.
If an elderly person does not enjoy groups of people, they should be encouraged to develop a friendship with one or two people who they can socialize with daily. Socializing helps maintain memory and higher brain function because it gives them something to fixate on and look forward to every day.
Tips to Help Keep Seniors Physically Active
Everyone needs physical exercise, and if seniors are unable to walk, then you need to be creative with the exercise routine. Several exercises can be done in a chair, such as the following:
- Leg lifts
- Arm lifts
- Stomps (placing ones’ feet on floor and stomping them up and down, mimicking the motion of walking and exercising the legs and abdomen)
It is not difficult to involve creativity with chair exercises. Even tossing a ball back and forth will exercise the arms and help with eye and hand coordination. This exercise also helps with maintaining a senior’s cognitive skills.
Seniors that are still able to walk should be encouraged to walk outside, as the sunshine and fresh air can boost the release of their “happy hormones” and can help them sleep better.
Physical activity is just as important for maintaining memory function as is mental activity. Seniors who participate in physical activities have a larger concentration of brain tissue in areas that usually shrink when seniors develop conditions like dementia.
Our staff at St. Bernardine Care Providers enjoy spending time and caring for the senior population in the Victorville and Apple Valley areas of the High Desert. For more information on elderly care, contact us today.
