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Cognitive Activities for Nursing Homes

Cognitive activities can help elderly people stay sharp, improve their well-being and reduce depression. Dr. Sherry L. Willis of Pennsylvania State University conducted a study between April 1998 and December 2004 that found specific cognitive training improved the cognitive function of older people; the effects lasted for up to five years.

  1. Communication

    • Base conversations on everyday activities.

      Talking to the elderly people about experiences can help give them a stronger sense of self-worth. They need to feel that they are still valuable members of society, and communication can help. Elders who live in residential care are at risk for social isolation. The Social Care Institute for Excellence advises encouraging residents to develop social connections through contact with local community centers, schools and volunteer organizations. Involving residents in planning activities helps them feel valued by the community.

    Crafts and Other Leisure Activities

    • Knitting and other crafts can help keep the mind active and reduce stress.

      Crafts can help stimulate the minds of the elderly in a creative way. Many crafts are easy to provide within a nursing home, such as drawing, painting and knitting, which improve concentration and coordination. Former senior physiotherapist Betsan Corkhill launched a collaborative study with scientists at a number of universities on the role of knitting in health. They found that it helps prevent and manage stress, pain and depression

    Games and Puzzles

    • Puzzles stimulate the mind.

      Popular games that help stimulate the mind include dominoes, chess, card games, word games and checkers. According to B&M Care, a member of the National Association of Providers of Activities for older people, quizzes of all types can also be used to help improve and maintain long- and short-term memory. B&M says that most information is taken in through sight, and suggests quizzes using pictures, music, touch, smell and taste.

    Technology

    • Playing video games can help cognitive function in nursing home residents. Dr. T. J. McCallum of Case Western Reserve University has spearheaded a "gerontechnology" program, the Brain Emporium, a joint research program the university runs with Fairhill Center, a facility for the elderly in Cleveland, Ohio. Elderly volunteers play video games, and researchers record their ability to master them. Dr. McCallum says, "These works are definitely improving people's acuity and other aspects of cognition."

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