The benefits of physical exercise are numerous and not understated. We know it’s important to get in daily activity to keep ourselves in shape and feeling physically fit. However, keeping the mind mentally fit is just as important, especially for seniors in-home care!
The mind and its functionality are essential to good senior health. So, how can your senior give their brain a proper workout? We have plenty of ideas! Read through some of our favorites below and help strengthen your senior’s mind.
Word and Number Puzzles and Games
Popular games and puzzles like word searches, sudoku, and crossword puzzles allow your senior to give their brain a critical thinking workout.
Word games can be particularly useful to improve your senior’s vocabulary and increase their concentration level. These games really work to exercise the mental muscles and improve senior health by testing out mathematical abilities and memory.
Drawing and Music
Next your senior can exercise the more creative parts of their brain! Encourage your senior to explore the arts, whether it’s drawing, painting, or crafting! Sketching a tropical beach or building something out of popsicle sticks helps your senior to act on their creative impulses.
Likewise, music has a positive effect on the mind. Listening to some tunes is shown to enhance senior’s moods, increase interest levels and communication, and boost up their positive emotions.
Meditations
Sometimes opening the mind to let it relax is exactly what your loved one needs to improve their senior health! Meditations will help them do just that and can help quiet feelings of depression, nervousness, and stress. If your senior has many thoughts and emotions to work through, meditation is a great way for them to focus on how they feel and recenter themselves.
If your senior is unsure where to begin or how to meditate, they may consider trying a guided meditation. Visit this link for plenty of soothing guided meditations.
The Cognitive Therapeutics Method
Home Care Assistance is heavily focused on cognitive health for older adults. Our Cognitive Therapeutics Method™ was developed based on cutting-edge scientific research and is consistent with growing evidence such as the ACTIVE study funded by the National Institutes of Health, suggesting that cognitive stimulation is associated with long-term brain health benefits.
This special form of care currently includes over 20 activities targeting not just memory, but the five cognitive domains, too —executive functioning, attention, language, visual-spatial perception and memory.
Would you like additional information on how to improve your senior’s health while they remain in their own home? Reach out to our experts at Home Care Assistance and schedule a consultation!
