Hi there, my name is Patrice. Welcome to my site. I am excited to share my knowledge about assisted living communities with you all today. When my mother reached her elder years, I was unable to provide her with the level of care she needed each day. I wanted her to receive the best of care without feeling like we abandoned her. I set her up in an assisted living community and visited on a regular basis. I want to use this site to talk about all of the benefits of utilizing assisted living facilities for your parents and other loved ones.
Some of the best things you can do for a person with dementia and memory loss is to engage them in activities daily. You should also make sure that these games and activities are different every day, so that the brains of these patients do not adapt to a pattern and then the games/activities no longer have a positive impact. If you are attempting to help a loved one with dementia or memory care, here are some really good games and activities to keep their minds healthy and functional and maybe even improve memory.
Go Fish
Sure, it is a kid's card game, but remembering who has what cards forces the adult with memory problems to think about where the needed cards are hiding. New neural pathways are formed because the game changes constantly. The more people that play with you and your family member, the greater the chances are for creating opportunities for memory pathways and increasing intellectual functioning and intellectual capacity. "Memory" is another game to use that can have similar positive effects on the brain of your loved one.
Painting
Art therapy is a rarely used therapy in health facilities anymore, which is unfortunate given that painting and drawing activities have shown to improve cognitive functioning in patients with Alzheimers. If your loved one did not engage in art before being diagnosed with dementia and/or memory loss, see if you can get him/her interested in it now. If he/she was artistic before, bring him/her some brushes, canvases and paints and get him/her started again.
Listening to ALL Kinds of Music
Music is linked to different memories in a person's life. Ask any elderly person what song was playing when he/she first met his/her spouse, and he/she can probably tell you. Likewise, other songs can trigger other memories. Music of all kinds affects different areas of the brain, so it is important to play music and "switch on" your loved one's memories with music. When combined with dancing/exercise or some other memory-engaging activity, the effects are quite astounding.
Dancing
Even if your family member is in a wheelchair, you can still help him or her dance. Dancing will help the blood flow/circulation, which in turn increases oxygen to the brain and helps the brain think better. If your family member loved to dance when he/she was younger, or has fond memories attached to dancing, this activity will help activate memories too.
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