|  | Mental Health | Stress Management

Puzzles to Help Elderly With Memory

Your brain is constantly learning by interacting with the world around us. Give your brain mental stimulation to improve its function and help protect it against cognitive decline. As The Franklin Institute says, your brain can grow new neurons at any age and that most age-related losses in memory stem from inactivity and a lack of mental stimulation.

  1. Computer Puzzles

    • If the elderly person you are helping is not computer literate, spend some time showing him how to use a computer. The act of figuring out something new one will help, as well as enabling him to play some of the online puzzles. The Alliance for Aging Research, for example, along with advocating "use it or lose it," has a page dedicated to online puzzles, ranging from Free Cell Solitaire to Mah Jongg. Once he has mastered basic computer skills, he can go online and meet up with peers to discuss gaming strategies and compare his scores.

    Everyday Puzzles

    • John Morley, author of "The Science of Staying Young" and director of St Louis University's Division of Geriatric Medicine, recommends creating puzzles in your every day life. For example, drive a new route to an often-visited place. Figure out math in your head rather than using a pen and paper, or test your recall by writing a shopping list and an hour later, see how much you can recall. Whilst eating dinner, try to figure out what flavors have contributed to your meal. Or stimulate all your senses, by engaging in an activity such as learning how to cook or gardening. Cooking uses smell, touch, sight and taste, all from different areas of the brain.

    Word/Number Puzzles

    • The Mayo Clinic also advocates doing simple things every day to help start memory improvement. Start with the crossword puzzle in the newspaper or go one-step further by adding math into the puzzle, and complete Sudoku. You can order crossword puzzles arranged in themes so you can select a familiar theme, or order both Sudoku and the crossword in large print to help with those losing their sight.

Stress Management - Related Articles