This year, World Alzheimer’s Day falls on September 21 this year, the day before the official beginning of fall. Take advantage of the reminder to learn about how you can maintain a healthy brain in the aging process.
As you age, it’s a good idea to stay physically health as well as mentally healthy. Maintaining brain health is a step toward avoiding memory loss and even avoiding or preventing the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Studies by experts in the field show that brain training helps slow memory loss and benefits your mental health in other ways.
One study of adults 65 and older showed that brain training over a period of five to six weeks resulted in improvement for memory, reasoning, and speed of processing information for up to five years. Even common tasks such as managing money and housework improved in the thousands of adults who participated in the sessions.
The activities you can do to help improve your brain function and health are easy and things you can do right in your assisted living community. Here are the easy tips for you to try work on in your senior living community.
A healthy diet and exercise. Physical and mental health go together. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Be sure to limit your intake of sodium, sweets, sugary beverages and red meat. It’s important to have a regular exercise regimen. It’s good to exercise because it directly benefits your brain cells by increasing the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain.
Having social connections is a good workout for your brain. We’re social as humans and having connections with people and forming and keeping relationships helps your brain thrive. Workouts for your brains helps keep your brain engaged and challenged. It also has long-term benefits.
Here’s a short list of ways to challenge your brain:
—Play board games or cards with friends or family members. Try new games. The important thing is to work your brain and make social connections.
—Learn a new language. Start playing an instrument.
—Do crosswords, Wordle, or sudoku. Try puzzles, especially challenging ones.
—Play online memory games or video games.
—Take adult education classes.
These tips can help improve your brain health and improve your outcomes over the long term.
A CARING-FIRST ENVIRONMENT
Senior living communities like Auburn Hill Senior Living are precisely that—a community. Residents become friends and even family, and a caring team is there to help them maintain their quality of life.
At Auburn Hill Senior Living, we offer both Assisted Living and Memory Care and we care with Honesty, Excellence, Accountability, Residents first and Teamwork. We like to call it Caring with H.E.A.R.T.™!
If you believe a senior living community would benefit your loved one, get in touch with us. Schedule a tour or download a brochure today!