How Can Older Adults Improve Memory
With the senior population on the rise it’s become common for older adults to deal with challenges that pertain to memory recollection. Memory lapses may occur once or a few times a day in older adults. People find themselves standing in a cold garage with no idea as to why I was they were there in the first place. When running an errand at the grocery they often have to give a call to make sure that nothing was left out. As one gets older memory lapses begin occurring more frequently.
Prior to exploring how older adults can improve their memory we would like to differentiate between the three types of memory lapses. The first type of memory loss is referred to as forgetting. According to Psychestudy, forgetting refers to failure to either recall or retain information into present consciousness. When someone saw or heard something the brain should have captured the information and be able to recall it. This type of memory loss is most common and referred to as forgetting. There are no dangerous implications from the fallout and one can often remember a few moments later. It occurs in people of all ages and is caused by the lack of preemptive concentration. Short-term memory loss, can be caused by drugs, alcohol, stroke, head injury, traumatic experiences, and dementia. Long term memory loss is the result of a disease which is referred to as amnesia. This includes brain damage, psychological trauma, and disease which impacts brain cells. Dementia is not a condition but merely a symptom of a brain disease like Alzheimer’s. The information below will provide beneficial tips on how to help seniors better deal with forgetting and improve memory.
1. Help yourself by getting organized and putting thing away properly
Didn’t your mother tell you to clean up and put your things away properly. Putting items away in the correct places makes it easier for one to find them at a future point in time. Many stores specialize in home organization like the Container Store. Seniors will be surprised to find amazing solutions for basic items which they use on a daily basis. The brand specializes in creating storage solutions in the most creative area like on walls. Urbio Collection, is a wall system in which you hang plastic buckets to have easy access to the supplies you need. Regardless if your willing or not to invest money into home organization, there are many free DIY organization videos online for one to explore.
2. Make it your business to play games that help the mind
Playing games like chess and sudoku stimulate areas of the brain which keep it sharp. In fact such activities actually help increase IQ, prevent Alzheimer’s, builds problem-solving skills, and of course improve memory. One can also access many mind games via apps which make it easy as pie. However, keep in mind there are negative elements which come along with spending excessive time on mobile devices. Avoid TV binge watching which is counterproductive to memory care and does not exercise the brain at all. The idea is to exercise the brain instead of just receiving information. Exactly how someone looks when sitting on the couch when watching TV is how his or her brain performing.
3. Get out of the house at least once a week and go somewhere
Everyone knows staying home and not seeing people is depressing. Even a minimal amount of depression allows one mind to format to an inactive mode. Setting a day for an activity helps a person have reason to move forward in the week and make it productive. Got to a book store and pick up the newest best seller and sit down with a latte or a favorite brew. When the weather is nice go to the beach or park and continue reading there.
4. Make a special effort to pay attention, and concentrate
Chances are that the reason while most people forget is due to the initial lack of attention and concentration. Start looking at people in the eye when they talk and put down the phone. Just having a hand on a mobile device makes it difficult to concentrate. Having the proper mindset to receive information will definitely help you recall it in the future.
5. Antioxidants help prevent memory loss, add them to your daily diet
The human body produces safe and unsafe molecules which are referred to as free radicals. These bad elements can result in the buildup of bacteria which ultimately lead to infection. Older adults can combat the buildup of free radicals by adding antioxidants to their diet. Superfoods like beets and blueberries are loaded with antioxidants and just one serving can get you what you need to fight off those bad boys. Tropical berries and other superfruits from Mexico and South America can actually protect against deadly illnesses like cancer and heart disease.
6. Moving the body stimulates brain cells that support health memory
Everyone hears about the importance of daily exercise in regards to cardiovascular health. The American Heart Association recommends that seniors should exercise for at least 150 minutes a day. Organizations like the AHA and CDC often promote activity to support a healthy heart but don’t speak exercise benefits for the brain. When you take a jog in the park the eye, ears, and body all need to coordinate to format a successful run.
7. Schedule weekend or weekday activities for the grandchildren
It’s very important to invite visitors to ones home. Being lonely is not only depressing but it’s counterproductive to the stimulation and reproduction of healthy brain cells. A great way to get guest to visit is to invite the smaller people, your grandchildren. They often come with a project and force you to get moving. Children often could use assistance with homework, book reports, or studying for a tests. Seniors will once again need to become familiar with subjects that pertain to reading, writing, and arithmetic which all promote healthy memory.
Seniors who care about retaining a healthy mind should try and think of other ideas to get the brain moving. The objective is to remain active and to avoid activities in which the brain is not being exercised. This might mean cutting down the time you spend watching television and replacing it with doing crosswords or sudoku puzzles. It’s all about changing one’s lifestyle to being more active. If you or a loved one finds that forgetting is becoming more frequent try exercising those brain muscles. Taking care of your body ultimately leads to improved memory and makes it easier to recall an activity in the past. If one ever feels that they or a loved is experiencing frequent memory loss that’s making it hard to execute basic activities consult a doctor or call 911.
At the Senior Comfort Guide we are always seeking for unique services for our senior community in Northeast Ohio. Next time you here of a service like music therapy in Ohio, mention to them about the Senior Comfort Guide. We enjoy spreading this free resource for senior services.
