Are you looking for different ways to improve your elderly loved one’s memory and cognitive thinking? Are you interested in finding different ways to engage with them? If so, then you should look into fun brain games for seniors.
They are enjoyable for people of any age and can help keep your loved one’s brain as active as can be. This can help them keep their wits as they age, as well as ward off depression or emotional distress.
See below for several amazing brain games for seniors. Be sure to try them all out the next time that you and your elderly loved one are hanging out.
1. Bingo
The stereotype of elderly people and their love of Bingo didn’t come out of thin air. There is a valid reason that so many retirement centers and nursing homes place a premium on playing Bingo weekly.
First and foremost, it’s a common interest among many residents. That means there’s more opportunity for social interaction since it’s a game everyone knows and understands. Residents can talk and mingle with one another while they play.
Secondly, Bingo helps activate the brain in a few key ways. The elder has to hear the number that’s being called, process it, then use senses such as touch and sight to place it in the correct area.
If your loved one needs elderly care, then they might not know who to turn to. If they use Family Always First Home Care (FAFHHC), then they can hire their own loved ones to take care of them. Be sure to look into that for your elderly family members.
2. Sudoku
Almost everyone has heard of Sudoku, but not many people truly know how to play it the right way. That alone can be a fun time for you and your loved one. You can set aside time for them to teach you the right way to play.
Sudoku is essentially all about finding the right patterns within the numbers that are laid out. This helps activate one’s cognitive thinking as they try and think through different problems.
You and your loved ones can talk through the different patterns that you see. It can heighten their sense of troubleshooting, listing all possible options before writing it down on the sudoku board.
This is a game that your loved one can perform both by themselves and with friends. If they’re alone at their place, it can help them pass the time by.
3. Tetris
Who hasn’t spent hours playing Tetris on the ole Gameboy? It’s a game that constantly challenges you to defeat your current high score.
While you might not have thought of it, it’s actually a great way to exercise you and your elderly loved one’s brain as well.
You only have a certain amount of time to fit in certain pieces before they’re set in stone. The longer that you play, the more challenging the pieces get, and the less amount of time you have to make a decision.
The game concept itself is also relatively simple, making it an easy game concept to learn even if the senior isn’t tech-savvy. There are many different variations of the game both online and in mobile app form.
Tetris is also a great way to fill your aging loved one’s competitive spirit. Whoever gets the higher score has bragging rights!
4. Riddles
Does your elderly loved one enjoy problem-solving? Are they the type that always has to get the correct answer, no matter how long it takes them to think through it? If so, then there might be no better brain game than setting them up with a riddle.
This game is easy and completely free. Simply look up a list of difficult riddles online and you’ll have a plethora of different ones that you can go through with them over time. They might even have a few of their own to challenge you.
The harder the riddle, the more time they’ll spend thinking about it as they go throughout their day. This will keep their brain active and occupied.
Better yet, you can play this game with them at any time. You can do them while you’re visiting with them, during a phone call, or by sending them a text each morning for them to think about throughout the day.
5. Checkers
Checkers is a game for anyone of any age. Your elderly loved ones can play it with you, your kids, or their friends. It causes a lot of quick decisions but isn’t as complex or strung-out as chess can be at times.
Take the initiative of making checkers a tradition with you and your aging loved one by buying them a nice checkerboard set or hooking them up with a phone app.
While playing chess, your loved one will have to use cognitive thinking to strategize each move they make. They’ll have to think through future moves they want to make, countermoves that you might make, and so on.
Get the entire family together and create a checker tournament. Even when you’re away, your loved one can download checkers on a computer and play against a CPU with different difficulty settings.
Give All of These Fun Brain Games for Seniors a Try
Now that you have seen several fun brain games for seniors, be sure to use them to your advantage. Not only will they keep your loved one’s brain active, but you’ll also be able to build more memories with them.
Be sure to read this article on essential senior health tips for the fall season. That way you can prioritize their needs with winter approaching quickly.
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