Caregiver Relief: An Unseen Benefit Of Memory Games For Seniors With Dementia
One of the mostly-unspoken benefits of playing memory games for seniors with dementia is the joy and fun they bring to the table. Playing games with your aging spouse, parent, or grandparent alleviates caregiving pressures and allows you to connect and engage with your loved one on a different level. This can help you destress and enjoy a better quality of life.
Looking for a place where you can visit your loved ones and enjoy memory-focused activities? Or, would you like to find respite care that gives you the break you need while your loved one is well cared for and has access to activities that keep memory care at the forefront?
Connect with The Memory Center to learn more about what we have to offer. In addition to providing a high quality of life for adults with Alzheimers and other dementia-related conditions, we do all we can to minimize stress and burnout for their family caregivers.
Learn more ways that, as a caregiver, you can take care of yourself!
Creating A Memory Box
One of the games for dementia patients could be to create a memory box. They can put anything, from photos to newspaper cutting and anything absurd that may hold some significant value for them.
Memory boxes can help the patients feel connected to their past. Every person has a different story to tell and these memory boxes can be the start of some great storytelling, talking and celebrating the past and the old memories that they love.
A Board Games For Sgdc
It is generally known that board games are a kind of multiplayer game which requires face-to-face interaction of players. In board games, players need to memorize things, communicate with each other, make reasonable inferences and so on, which can exercise ones memory, improve language expression performance, cultivate social emotions and develop ones reasoning abilities , . Coincidentally, dementia impairs patients abilities of memory, cognition, emotional controls, which board games can help exercise. So, many researchers have applied board games to dementia care.
Experiments of Chen verified that board games have a good effect on treating dementia. For example, checkers games can keep the brain cells active and develop ones thinking ability Abacus can train the fingers flexibility and the ability of hand-eye coordination and calculation Poker is helpful to improve memory and thinking performance and exercise social communication abilities. In addition, Lin et al. also proposed that Chinese GO can enhance patients social skills, reasoning ability and so on.
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Logic Puzzles To Help With Out
Logic puzzles are an exciting activity designed to test a persons ability to use information provided to them, and come up with a logical answer. Logic puzzles allow you to think outside the box, create new solutions, and can also help to solidify memories.
Logic puzzles are ideal for older people since they enable lateral thinking and can help to fire up neural pathways that have likely been dormant since retiring. You can find logic puzzle books online, or in most good book stores, but below is an example to get you started:
Here is an image of a bus.
Can you figure out which direction the bus is travelling? Hint: the bus is either traveling left or right. This is not a trick question. If you think you have the right answer or you cant come up with a solution, click here to find out which way this bus is moving!
Games For Patients With Dementia
Finding games for dementia patients is a time consuming job for most caregivers. Games for dementia, Alzheimer’s or any form of memory loss can range from Alzheimers card games to word games and from activities to improve dexterity to intellectual challenges. Games for dementia patients can provide the mental stimulation dementia sufferers need to stay engaged and alert while enjoying a vigorous memory workout.
Andthe great news is that so many creative games are available that picking out the games you’d like to play with the patient is almost as much fun as playing them! At The Alzheimer’s Store, we are constantly looking for new games for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. If you knowof any you would like to suggest, please contact us. Games for dementiathat we like best include hand eye coordination, aerobics and mental stimulation. All three of these components can be found in the Thumball Games.
The Alzstore offers a wide variety of games for dementia patients:senior memory games
- Games that enhance hand-eye coordination through manipulation of various parts or pieces
- Games for seniors that strengthen mental capacity through word-related activities, mental exercises or questions that encourage the verbal articulation of ideas
- Games that improve recall by encouraging the recollection of memories via verbal interaction or pictures
- Games that forge mental connections through association.
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Games For Those Living With Dementia
It has been said that keeping the brain stimulated through games can help slow the progression of dementia. There are certain board games targeted at those living with dementia.
Perhaps you might like to try the following games if your loved one receives a dementia diagnosis:
- Amazing Chase: this can be used in both early and late stage dementia
- this game is specifically aimed at understanding how your loved one thinks and to understand what they like and dont like
- Snakes and Ladders: perfect for mental stimulation
- Animal Snap: this card set is specially designed around cognitive stimulation therapy for those living with dementia
Take A Fun Walk With Your Grandchildren
Going out for a walk with grandchildren is one of the healthiest things you can do on turkey day. Not to forget, it can also be a lot of fun. If you live in an area surrounded by nature, you can take binoculars with you on the walk. To be honest, this activity is more fun for kids than seniors. You can watch them collect leaves, play nature games, and much more.
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What To Avoid In Board Games For Dementia Patients
Playing certain board games is a great way to help dementia patients.
To keep things running smoothly and beneficial for your time with your loved one, and their well-being we suggest avoiding some types of board games. You should avoid:
So which board games and tabletop games are good for individuals with dementia? Here are our top 10.
Books For Those With Alzheimer’s Or Dementia
Several publishers create books specifically for patients with Alzheimer’s or dementia. These books cover many topics and feature large print and beautiful images. Because they are made specifically for older adults, they don’t have that “kid” feeling that comes with children’s books. They are lightweight and light on text, making them ideal for adults with Alzheimer’s or dementia.
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Top Games For Seniors And The Elderly: Fun For All Abilities
Get ready to play! It’s time to learn about the best games for seniors so that you can reap the benefits of having fun. After all, joy, amusement, and mental stimulation are necessary for every senior’s overall well-being. And we all have days when we just want to pass a little time by doing something engaging.
Games provide convenient ways to have fun, either alone or as part of a group. They eradicate boredom, relieve stress, and make parties and other social engagements easier, more enjoyable, and less intimidating. They also help exercise our brains. For some people, playing certain types of games might be beneficial for things like mood, memory, concentration, reasoning, and imagination. Games might be especially helpful for your brain if they require you to learn something new.
Plus, countless games can be modified for seniors or elderly people who have physical or cognitive limitations. For example, it’s easy to find or create games that have large type, which is good for older people who have vision problems. And if time or attention spans are a concern, many games can be played and completed in less than 30 minutes.
The variety of senior-friendly games that are now available is astonishing. So to help you narrow down the possibilities, we’ve provided some of the best examples within seven main categories:
Best Game Apps For Seniors With Dementia
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Game apps are a great way to engage your loved ones affected by Dementia. I have listed below the best game apps for seniors with Dementia.
Contents
More than 6mn people in America live every day with Alzheimers. When your loved one is affected by Dementia, there is only one way to view life, and that is a positive way.
You can hope only upon hope for them to enjoy a natural life or at least as close they can get to that. Focus is the keyword as you try to keep their minds concentrating on whatever you want them to.
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Setting Up A Fish Tank
Alzheimers disease affects the appetite of the patients and also may be one of the contributing factors of depression in some patients. Setting up fish tanks in the living room or the dining room in the memory care facility can help with these effects as has been proved by research.
Colorful fishes in brightly colored tanks have also been proved to reduce disruptive behavior and keep the patients more relaxed. The living environment really matters a lot in the case of people with dementia and these fish tanks can help brighten up the place as well as provide a therapeutic effect.
With All Things: Moderation
Although online memory games can help improve seniors cognitive skills, they are only recommended as a part of comprehensive memory improvement programs. Seniors should play these games in moderation and exercise their brains regularly.
The goal of these games should not be to memorize the entire game board but to focus on the ability to manipulate images and engage all areas of the brain mentally.
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What Other Activities Can Help People With Dementia
Games arent the only activities that can help support cognitive function in people with dementia. According to the experts at Dementia Australia, other activities that can be helpful include:
- Reading:Reading is a wonderfully enriching activity that doesnt just involve books. You can also read poetry, magazines, newspapers, comics, and other printed or online content.
- Entertainment: Watching television shows or listening to radio shows are great examples of how modern entertainment can help keep the brain engaged.
- Arts: Art comes in many forms, such as painting, drawing, and playing musical instruments. Any form of art expression is beneficial in people with dementia.
- Learning: Learning new things, whether through a class, YouTube videos, podcasts, or other mediums, is a great way to reinforce cognitive skills in older age.
Some people with severe dementia may struggle to do even simple tasks, so some of the activities mentioned above may be difficult for them to engage in. If this is the case, consider sticking to simpler activities, like chatting and reminiscing, looking through pictures, and listening to music.
It Creates A Sense Of Normalcy And Structure
Developing a routine is vital in the life of a person with dementia. As dementia progresses, individuals may begin to feel increasingly frustrated with the gradual loss of their cognitive abilities. This may cause undesirable behaviours such as restlessness, agitation, and even aggression in some cases.
While most forms of dementia are irreversible, these are some ways that games can slow down the decline of ones cognitive functions.
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Volunteering For The Over
There is no reason why volunteering should only be reserved for young people. No matter how old an individual, or how capable they are, there are volunteering activities for everyone from reading with children, to caring for animals, and helping in charity shops. Not only does volunteering allow individuals to make a difference in the world it also changes them in surprising ways!
In addition to feelings of wellbeing, volunteering can reduce social isolation, and allow new skills to be developed. A quick search online will highlight just how many volunteering opportunities there are for older people.
What Types Of Games Are Good For Seniors With Dementia
There are many types of games that are good for seniors with dementia. Some of the best include board games, card games, puzzles, and even video games.
Board games can be a fun way to keep seniors engaged. Card and video games can also be very entertaining for seniors with dementia while keeping them mentally stimulated.
For seniors who prefer solitary games, puzzles can be an excellent way for seniors to exercise their minds and hands.
Ill show you some specific examples for each type later in this article.
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B How Do Games Help Dementia Patients
One of the most common symptoms suffered by dementia patients is isolation and pulling back from social settings. This is mainly due to the fear of being judged on their inability to perform the daily tasks. This affects their communication skills with other people.
To help with this, patients could engage in games for dementia patients that are stage-specific and enhance their mental stimulation as well as sensory stimulation. It could help in improving brain health and allow dementia-affected patients to interact with their other patients more easily.
Care providers for dementia patients can play games with them to help stimulate their cognitive function. Research shows that these games therapies have a better effect on the cognitive skills of dementia patients compared to other treatment procedures.
Games for dementia patients also help reduce stress and preserve memory-based skills that could help the patients in the long run.
Even though it is just a game, it really helps in keeping the patients positive and happy at the same time. It is very difficult for the loved ones of the patients to gradually see them lose their memory. Playing games for dementia patients can keep the environment cheerful and stress-free for everyone.
Never Too Old To Learn A New Language
Our brain ages as we do, but it is possible to enhance brain health and reduce the impacts of aging by challenging it. Learning a new language is one of the best ways to do that. As well as language classes in community centres, there are also language classes online, and audio books available to loan from libraries.
Learning a language is best done with friends, making it a great activity for enhancing sociality in older people. Some may be put off by the challenge of a new language, but it doesnt even matter if the older person isnt able to learn swathes of vocabulary learning just a few words will get the cogs turning and enhance mental health.
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Heighten Mental Skills With A Brain Training App
You can download brain training apps straight to a mobile or tablet to enable older people to train their brain whenever and wherever they want. These apps are useful to improve visual-spatial skills, problem solving and concentration.
There are a lot of apps available, ranging from really simple word-connection games to more complex apps with more than 60 different games and activities. Many of the apps are free and easy to use. A couple of great options include: Fit Brains Trainer and NeuroNation, but a quick search in an app store will show how many apps are available.
Try A Brain Training App
As long as your elderly loved one has a mobile phone or tablet they will be able to download apps to help with brain training. The best thing about using apps is they can be used and accessed anywhere. Depending on the type of app being used, these apps can improve concentration levels, visual-spatial skills and problem solving. A quick search in the app store will provide you with hundreds of brain training apps to choose from.
Here are a few app suggestions that may help stimulate your elderly loved ones brain:
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Watch The Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade
Image credit: Wikimedia
The Macys Thanksgiving day parade is an annual event on Thanksgiving day. The popular department store chain has been organizing this event since 1924. Although this event takes place in New York City, you can watch it live on TV. If you stay nearby, I recommend attending it with a family member. They have 2.5 miles of public viewing along the route where you can walk and take pictures.
How The Love To Move Program Helps Seniors With Dementia
Experts in Japan created chair-based dementia exercise programs to improve the lives of nursing care residents with dementia.
The simple exercises were based on cognitive stimulation, memory arousal, and music.
The results were so positive that the program won full state funding and is now used in every care home across the country.
The BGF was so inspired by the Japanese programs success that they worked with the program leaders to design UK-based dementia exercise programs using those same principles.
BGFs pilot program showed amazing results in seniors with dementia:
- 71% of participants had noticeable physical improvements
- 86% were socializing more with other residents and staff
- 93% seemed happier and more settled
- 100% were easier to connect with
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Think Outside The Box With Logic Puzzles
Neural pathways in the elderly can become dormant after retiring this is why logic puzzles that require lateral thinking are great for stimulating these pathways. Logic puzzles are specifically designed to test how you use the information provided to you. These types of puzzles will encourage your loved one to think outside the box by creating new solutions and help them to think logically. You can check out some online brain teasers here.