Six Ways Home Care Can Help Enhance Cognitive Health for Seniors
Maintaining cognitive health is a huge part of helping seniors stay as healthy and happy as possible. Engaging in activities that help them keep their brains stimulated helps to preserve cognitive function, improve memory, and support mental well-being. Home care can be a huge part of any plan to support seniors in their cognitive health goals.
Pursuing New Hobbies
Learning anything new is great for the brain. Pursuing new hobbies and activities helps seniors find new things to enjoy in life, but it also helps stimulate the brain. Elder care providers might help seniors find new hobbies or simply offer support as seniors learn new hobbies and skills. There are tons of ways for seniors to learn new hobbies, too. Many libraries hold classes, both in person and online, as do colleges and community centers.
Staying Mentally Active
Staying mentally active means different things for different people. Reading more, playing games, working on puzzles, and trying out logic games are all great ways for seniors to stay mentally active. Digital games, board games, and word puzzles like crossword puzzles and word searches can all fit in this category.
Boosting Social Connections
Social engagement is another big way to keep the brain going. When seniors spend time with home care providers, they’re getting social interaction that they need on a regular basis. Seniors are more likely to experience cognitive challenges when they’re feeling socially isolated. Anxiety, depression, and poor overall mental health has significant impacts on cognitive health.
Moving More
Physical activity gets the brain going because it moves more blood, and therefore oxygen, into the brain. What really matters is that seniors do activities they enjoy and that they can do consistently. Incorporating fun activities makes it easier to stick with movement plans. If seniors haven’t done a lot of exercising, they may want to check in with their doctors first.
Embracing Creative Projects
Creative projects just naturally get the brain fired up and moving. Journaling, creative writing, painting, drawing, and all sorts of crafts might be ideas for seniors to explore. Even if seniors don’t think they’re good at creative activities, they should give them a try and experiment a bit. Relaxing and going with the flow can help the creative juices flow more easily. Also, the more often seniors let themselves be creative, the easier it gets.
Trying New Things
When seniors try something new, they’re using different parts of their brains. That might involve doing activities in a different order or taking a new route to the grocery store. There are all sorts of ways for seniors to try new, different things. Working with home care providers to add new experiences to daily and weekly routines is another way to embrace new things. Seniors might plan out these activities or try spontaneity. Either is effective.
It’s crucial for seniors to look for ways to keep their brains working and engaged. Both cognitive and physical well-being are tied to an active brain. Home care providers can help seniors look at their routines and figure out ways to help them keep their cognitive health strong.
If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in Manalapan, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Care Street Home Care today. Call (732) 607-8870.
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