According to the National Institutes of Health, 40% of people aged 65 and older suffer from age-related memory loss. Such memory loss does not indicate that a person may develop Alzheimer’s or dementia, but aging seniors should take steps to slow memory impairment.
Many Alzheimer’s care professionals recommend brain games to improve brain function and prevent memory loss. Here is a brief look at how brain games are thought to help brain function and some games ideal for seniors near the Twin Cities.
Do Brain Games Work for Slowing Memory Loss?
According to Medical News Today, playing games is one of the activities that can indeed slow memory loss. While brain games cannot prevent diseases such as dementia or Alzheimer’s, playing brain games can delay the onset of these diseases.
Brain studies show that playing games can also help create new brain synapses. Synapses are the spaces between brain cells that allow for communication between cells. The better the communication between cells, the better the brain’s function.
The Best Brain Games for Seniors
If you are worried about age-related memory loss of a loved one in the Twin Cities, start encouraging them to play the following types of brain games. For the best results, have them play a variety of these games and participate in other memory care activities.
Many of these brain games for memory can be played in-person, online, solo, or with a group.
Card Games
Playing card games can have several brain-boosting benefits. Most allow for the use of memory skills and strategy skills. Card games can also be played in groups, allowing seniors to reap some socialization benefits in the Twin Cities as well.
Jigsaw Puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles require looking at the pieces’ shapes and color patterns to determine which fit together. Using the brain in this way involves “visual-spatial working memory,” a skill not necessarily used in other types of brain games.
Crossword Puzzles
Crossword puzzles can be played online or with pencil and paper. Doing a crossword puzzle allows the brain to practice verbal memory as it attempts to think of a word that matches a definition or phrase and has a specific number of letters.
Brain Teasers
While you can buy books on brain teasers, there are also thousands of online brain teasers ideal for exercising the brain.
Brain teasers often require logic, and some even provide the need for quick thinking and motor function. Many also use math or reading skills, so the brain gets used in many different ways.
Board Games
Like card games, board games also provide the benefits of socialization and brain-building. While chess might be one of the best brain games, any game that requires the brain to think can be beneficial.
Play Brain Games With Your Aging Loved Ones in the Twin Cities
While brain games are not the only means of slowing age-related memory loss, they certainly are one of the most enjoyable and accessible. It is essential to help your aging loved ones regularly expose their brains to games, whether by playing with them in-person near the Twin Cities, or online, provide them access to brain-building games.
To learn more about memory care for your senior loved one, connect with us or explore more of our site.
