Tips for Great Brain Health in the Elderly Years

Do you take care of your elderly loved one? If so, is one of your main concerns their brain health? Maybe, you worry they are going to get dementia. Maybe, you just worry about their general cognitive functions. Either way, there are some tips for great brain health in the elderly years that you and your elderly loved one might want to know more about.

Reading Daily

One of the best things your elderly loved one can do to improve or maintain their brain health in their elderly years is to read daily. They can read just about anything to work on maintaining their brain health such as:

• Newspapers
• Non-fiction books
• Fiction novels
• Autobiographies
• Online website content
• Blog posts
• Magazines
• Forums

As long as your elderly loved one is reading, it can help their brain. If needed, you or a home care provider can remind your elderly loved one to read a little bit of something every day.

Making Lists and Recalling What is On the Lists

Another way that your elderly loved one can maintain or improve their brain health is by making lists and recalling what is on those lists. There are many types of lists they can make including, but not limited to, the following:

• To-do lists
• Grocery lists
• Lists of hobbies and passions
• Lists of strengths and weaknesses
• Phone numbers
• Addresses

The more your elderly loved one can remember, the better it will be for their brain. However, it is also important for your elderly loved one to know that there is nothing wrong with making and using lists when they are needed. In fact, just the act of making the list, alone, can be great for their brain health. If your elderly loved one wants help recalling what is on the lists or practicing their memory with those lists, you or a home care provider can assist them.

Learning Something New

Another way that your elderly loved one can maintain or improve their brain health is by learning something new. There are numerous ways that this can be done, as well. Some of the best ways for elderly people to learn new things include:

• Taking classes locally
• Taking classes or programs online
• Watching videos online on a passion they have
• Watching educational videos
• Watching the news
• Reading books or online content

Home care providers can get your elderly loved one to do at least one of these things every week, it can help to keep their brain health intact for longer.

Conclusion

These are some of the tips for great brain health in the elderly years. Now that you have these tips, don’t hesitate to share them with your elderly loved one. The sooner they can start doing these tasks and activities, the better it will be for their brain health.

If, at any point, you have concerns about your elderly loved one’s brain health, a home care provider can accompany your senior to doctor’s appointments and ensure they understand any recommendations that are made for their health.

Sources
https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/news%202016-10/BrainHealthKeyFactsResources.pdf