Depending upon their mental acuity, some of the games can be quite complex, whereas others are going to be more simplistic in nature. The key is to get them thinking and to play these games regularly to prevent potential diseases like Alzheimer’s, dementia, and many others from affecting your mind.
Word Games
A word game is one of the easiest ways to stimulate cognitive activity in any adult. Word games engage your mind, causing you to use that stored-up knowledge you have in your brain. To access this knowledge, your brain will start firing neurons that have likely not been active for years.
Not all of us think about the words that we use. We become accustomed to habitual conversations without putting too much thought into new words, phrases, or ways of stating information. But, word games can successfully cause older adults to start thinking about new concepts and words for these games very easily.
Examples of good word games for older adults: Scrabble, Upwords, Boggle
Puzzles
Although not directly related to using words or language, puzzles use that part of the mind that relates to patterns. Puzzles are nothing more than a pattern recognition exercise, one that can prove to be very complex.
The smaller the pieces, the more difficult it will be to complete these exercises. You must look at the shape of the puzzle piece, the colors on it, and the patterns you can see and compare those to the picture on the box. The faster you become, the better your mind will be.
For seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s, the Alzheimer’s store has a line of puzzles that are designed specifically for older adults with dementia and motor control issues.
Of course, word puzzles can combine the benefits of both word games and standard puzzles. If you like word puzzles, check out these puzzle book subscriptions and get them delivered to your home regularly.
Card Games
There are so many card games in the world today that can be played by virtually any age group. Some of the most popular include games like Go Fish, Solitaire, and even card games with an element of chance. Even simple card games for seniors like these can be mentally stimulating and help with attention.
To improve cognitive function, card games can be one of the best ways to accomplish this task. Memory retention, logical pattern solving, and many other aspects of card games can stimulate various parts of the brain. Playing regularly, or even including games of chance in large groups, can become exciting, which is also helpful for mental stimulation.
Checkers And Chess
Checkers is a very popular game and one of the world’s easiest board games. It consists of two players, each of which is trying to capture as many pieces as possible. These are often divided up on a checkerboard game table, complete with black-and-white pieces, all of which are positioned so that each player can leap over and capture the other person’s pieces on the board.
Chess is another game played on a similar board, if not identical. The most obvious differences are the types of pieces that you are using. Several different types, including the Queen, King, Rook, and Pawns, are used strategically to defeat the other player.
For those who already understand these games, you can invoke memories of strategies they already know. This is a great way to stimulate cognitive response and evoke memories that can assist them in playing and winning against other players.
If you’d like to try either of these games, the best way is to get a 3-in-1 game set that includes the game board plus pieces for both games (plus backgammon).
Reading
Reading is something that most people avoid. That is why the audiobook industry has become so popular. Although audiobooks and audiobook players have been around for decades, they are now much more accessible and affordable. However, it is important to read books as well.
Reading allows the brain to perform several different functions. First of all, you are using your ability to read words and form concepts. As you are reading, especially if you are proficient at it, you are literally seeing what is enfolding in the book itself.
Combining the mind’s eye, imagination, and cognitive abilities is one of the best ways to stimulate the mind. If they have not read a book in quite some time, choose something that would interest them, preferably at their reading level.
RELATED: Self-Esteem Activities for Older Adults
Physical Activities
Many different physical activities can also stimulate the attention of the elderly. You can play games in groups or simply play games with an older person independently. This can be anything from games that require hand-eye coordination or develop creativity. Even video games can suffice for this purpose.
Many elderly people won’t choose digitally-based activities. Instead, they may want to take up macramé, sewing, knitting, and other hands-on activities. If you can spend time with them and learn how to do these activities yourself, it can help them feel happier.
They could see an increase in their cognitive abilities simply because they feel happy and that they belong.
Wrapping Up
It is important for older adults to participate in activities that improve their attention span. It is very common for adults to develop short-term memory loss, which can be averted by simply engaging their minds with different activities that stimulate mental cognition.
Whether you are playing games, doing physical activities, or having regular conversations with them, it will be very helpful in stimulating their mind. By doing this regularly, they can look forward to your interaction with them, which can mean the difference between many years of high cognitive ability or potentially developing diseases related to the mind.
Through your efforts, you can improve an older person’s attention span by participating in one of these many ways.
