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Dementia Memory Exercises

Dementia is a deteriorating disease that causes loss in memory, language and reasoning. There is no cure for dementia, but there are medications that can delay symptoms as well as memory exercises than can maintain and in some cases improve memory. Mental gymnastics, the use of historical events and even physical exercises can all help to ease some of the symptoms that dementia patients face. Caregivers can use these strategies to form a daily schedule that will provide structure and routine for the dementia patient and maximize their benefits.

  1. Reminiscence Exercises

    • This type of mental exercise focuses on the use of historical information to help trigger long-term memories. For instance, photos or videos of famous politicians or wartime scenes can provoke discussions that can lead to remembering related personal memories and experiences. This type of exercise may prove beneficial because it taps into long-term memory, which is better preserved than short-term memory. Caregivers can use this strategy to compile a scrapbook with letters, photographs, etc. that detail a person's major life experiences. This should be viewed daily as a way to measure how the patient is doing on a particular day and in the long term to see how their memories are being affected. In latter stages of dementia, caregivers can use this as a means of connecting with patients and easing the anxiety that many dementia patients experience.

    Mental Gymnastics

    • Just as our bodies get out of shape with disuse, so do our minds. After daily reminiscence exercises, a good follow-up with your dementia patient would be to engage in some mental gymnastics. This should be incorporated into a dementia patient's daily schedule, preferably twice a day, in the morning and afternoon for anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes. Brain teasers and puzzles such as crosswords and Sudoku promote higher-level thinking skills. Scrabble is a wonderful way for dementia patients to strengthen two important skills, mental acuity and social interaction. Learing something new such as a craft, hobby or even a language is another possibility. TV shows are not altogether bad; simply choose ones that force your patient to think about the meaning of the story line.

    Physical Exercises

    • Physical exercise is not only important to have a healthy body but a healthy mind as well. Thirty minutes of physical activity a day can help maintain a healthy brain. Activities do not have to be strenuous and can be as simple as housework, walking, gardening or light aerobics. For those with dementia, exercise can help muscle control and balance and help to improve confusion and irritability.

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