What Are Some of the Best Ways to Help Keep Your Loved One's Brain Sharp?

Caregivers in Cranford NJ

Helping your loved one’s brain to stay sharp helps her to maintain her independence and also gives her a variety of different activities to enjoy throughout the day. Here are just a few suggestions.

Play Games Together

Games and puzzles make your loved one’s brain work to find solutions. Word games such as word searches, crossword puzzles, and word scrambles can be extremely helpful. You can also try other types of games, such as number games, card games, or board games. Keep a variety on hand so that your loved one can try new games whenever she wants.

Learn New Things

When you and your loved one learn new things, your brains form new pathways and they get some exercise and stimulation, too. Your loved one might want to pick up a new hobby or even simply take a class at a local community college. Online classes or in-person classes can be equally beneficial.

Bump up the Nutrition

The more nutrition your loved one’s brain gets, the better of it will be. Fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and lean proteins are the best bets for good brain nutrition. If you can help her to avoid junk foods and other foods with empty calories, so much the better.

Take Time for Just Fun

Our brains need much more than just nutrition and mental stimulation. They also need to be able to rest a bit. If your loved one’s brain is constantly going, whether that’s because of worrying or because she’s constantly moving from one task to another, it gets tired. Help your loved one to find the activities that help her to relax and unwind the best.

Exercise Together

Finally, physical exercise helps your loved one’s body to get more blood, and therefore more oxygen, to her brain. If you exercise with your elderly loved one, you can help her to get the right amount of exercise while you also work out. It’s also a good way for you to spend some extra time with each other, which can be difficult as a busy family caregiver who has a lot of different responsibilities.

Work with your loved one to find a combination of activities that appeal to her and that work best for her brain.

If you or an aging loved one are considering caregivers in Cranford, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Care Street Home Care of New Brunswick today. Call (732) 607-8870.