Top Activities to Help Prevent or Reduce Memory Loss

Are you concerned with your elderly loved one’s memory loss? Or maybe, they haven’t lost their memory yet to any degree, but you want to help prevent this from happening. This is a concern that many family caregivers think about and it is a valid one. The good news is there are many great activities that can help to prevent or reduce memory loss in senior citizens. You can hire home care assistance providers to work with your senior in this area and other ways too.

Keep reading here today to find more about the top activities for this goal.

Pick Up a Paintbrush or an Instrument

Did you know that learning new skills, especially ones that are more complex like painting or playing an instrument, gives the brain a workout every time the person practices it? Now that you do know this, you should encourage your elderly loved one to pick up a paintbrush and just paint. Even if they feel they are no good at it, just the act of trying can help to prevent memory loss. If they don’t want to paint or would like another option in addition to painting, you should encourage them to learn how to play an instrument. The guitar and keyboard are both good options for senior citizens.

Testing Recall

Another way to help prevent or reduce memory loss in the elderly is through testing recall. There are many ways that this can be done including:

  • Leave the grocery list in their pocket or at home while they go through the aisles (so they can try to remember what is needed)
  • Describe a childhood or another home they lived in (ask them for as many details as they can remember)
  • Have a home care assistance provider practice memory games (especially the visualization type) with your elderly loved one

These are some ideas that you can start on with your elderly loved one to help boost their memory and recall. You can search online for many other recall games that you or home care assistance providers can play with your elderly loved one, too.

Using All Senses

Did you know that activating all the senses helps the brain to be more active, hence reducing the risk of memory loss or slowing down the progression of memory loss? Now that you are aware of this, you may want to start encouraging your elderly loved one to use all their senses daily. There are many ways they can use their sense of smell, hearing, taste, touch, and sight.

Hire Home Care Assistance Aides to Work with Your Loved One

These are some of the top activities that can help your elderly loved one to prevent or reduce memory loss. If they have already started to lose some memories, it would be a good idea to have them implement these activities daily. They don’t necessarily have to do every activity every day, but one or two of them daily would be helpful. If you don’t feel your elderly loved one will stick to doing these activities on their own, you can always get home care assistance providers to help out.

Sources: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hearingloss/noise.html
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise/preventhearingloss/default.html

If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Assistance Services in Nashville TN, please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts at Home. Serving Middle Tennessee (Nashville, Brentwood, Belle Meade, Franklin, Spring Hill, Columbia, Pulaski, and more!) Call today: 629-203-7925.

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