VA benefits for long-term care, such as Aid and Attendance benefits, can help eligible veterans and their surviving spouses pay for senior care. Home care relies on trained aides to provide companionship and non-medical care for seniors living at home.
Independent living facilities offer convenient, hassle-free living in a social environment for seniors who are active, healthy, and able to live on their own.
Nursing homes provide short-and long-term care for seniors who have physical or mental health conditions that require hour nursing and personal care. Senior apartments offer accessible, no-frills living for seniors who are generally active, healthy, and able to live on their own. Just as exercise improves your physical health, brain workouts strengthen your mind, boosting your memory and thinking skills.
Read on for 10 easy ways to stimulate your brain. Your mind and body are interconnected so, often, what benefits the body benefits the brain. Regular exercise, even taking a simple walk, goes a long way toward improving your memory and cognitive skills, according to Dr. Try adding some of these physical activities to your daily or weekly routine to boost blood flow to your brain:.
Make reading more of a habit by:. You may know that nuts, fish, and red wine have been linked to a healthy brain. For an extra brain boost, try including these foods in your diet, suggests Healthline:. If your mother or teachers told you to sit up, they were right to — maintaining an upright posture improves circulation and blood flow to the brain.
Here are three ways to improve yours:. Sleep problems can lead to trouble with memory, concentration, and other cognitive functions, says the National Institute on Aging.
Memories and newly learned skills move to more permanent regions of the brain while you sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation NSF. This makes them easier to recall. Adults 65 and older should aim for seven to eight hours of sleep each night, says the NSF. Struggling to get to, or stay, asleep?
Try these tips:. Paint, color in an adult coloring book, or grab a pen and paper and draw. Preparing for the holidays?
Everyone has the occasional "senior moment. Memory lapses can occur at any age, but aging alone is generally not a cause of cognitive decline. When significant memory loss occurs among older people, it is generally not due to aging but to organic disorders, brain injury, or neurological illness.
Studies have shown that you can help prevent cognitive decline and reduce the risk of dementia with some basic good health habits:. Memory and other cognitive changes can be frustrating, but the good news is that, thanks to decades of research, you can learn how to get your mind active. There are various strategies we can use to help maintain cognitive fitness. Here are several you might try. A higher level of education is associated with better mental functioning in old age.
Experts think that advanced education may help keep memory strong by getting a person into the habit of being mentally active. Challenging your brain with mental exercise is believed to activate processes that help maintain individual brain cells and stimulate communication among them.
Many people have jobs that keep them mentally active. Pursuing a hobby, learning a new skill, volunteering or mentoring are additional ways to keep your mind sharp. The more senses you use in learning something, the more of your brain that will be involved in retaining the memory.
In one study, adults were shown a series of emotionally neutral images, each presented along with a smell. Brain imaging indicated that the piriform cortex, the main odor-processing region of the brain, became active when people saw objects originally paired with odors, even though the smells were no longer present and the subjects hadn't tried to remember them. So, challenge all your senses as you venture into the unfamiliar.
For example, try to guess the ingredients as you smell and taste a new restaurant dish. Give sculpting or ceramics a try, noticing the feel and smell of the materials you're using.
Myths about aging can contribute to a failing memory. Middle-aged and older learners do worse on memory tasks when they're exposed to negative stereotypes about aging and memory , and better when the messages are positive about memory preservation into old age.
People who believe that they are not in control of their memory function are less likely to work at maintaining or improving their memory skills and therefore are more likely to experience cognitive decline.
If you believe you can improve and you translate that belief into practice, you have a better chance of keeping your mind sharp. If you don't need to use mental energy remembering where you laid your keys or the time of your granddaughter's birthday party, you'll be better able to concentrate on learning and remembering new and important things.
Take advantage of calendars and planners, maps, shopping lists, file folders, and address books to keep routine information accessible. Designate a place at home for your glasses, purse, keys, and other items you use often. Remove clutter from your office or home to minimize distractions, so you can focus on new information that you want to remember. When you want to remember something you've just heard, read, or thought about, repeat it out loud or write it down.
That way, you reinforce the memory or connection. For example, if you've just been told someone's name, use it when you speak with him or her: "So, John, where did you meet Camille? And don't hesitate to ask for information to be repeated. Repetition is most potent as a learning tool when it's properly timed. It's best not to repeat something many times in a short period, as if you were cramming for an exam. It takes about eight seconds of intense focus to process a piece of information into your memory.
Involve as many senses as possible. Try to relate information to colors, textures, smells, and tastes. The physical act of rewriting information can help imprint it onto your brain.
If you can recite it rhythmically, even better. Relate information to what you already know. For more complex material, focus on understanding basic ideas rather than memorizing isolated details. Practice explaining the ideas to someone else in your own words.
Use mnemonic devices to make memorization easier. Authors: Melinda Smith, M. Improving Memory — Understanding age-related memory loss. Playing Games With Memory — Games that test memory along with advice for improving recollection. The Exploratorium, San Francisco.
Evidence that eating fish is more effective than fish oil supplements. This holiday season alone, millions of people will turn to HelpGuide for free mental health guidance and support.
So many people rely on us in their most difficult moments. Can we rely on you? All gifts made before December 31 will be doubled.
Cookie Policy. How to boost brain power at any age A strong memory depends on the health and vitality of your brain. Four key elements of a good brain-boosting activity It teaches you something new. To strengthen the brain, you need to keep learning and developing new skills. The best brain-boosting activities demand your full and close attention. It must still be something that requires mental effort. Look for activities that allow you to start at an easy level and work your way up as your skills improve —always pushing the envelope so you continue to stretch your capabilities.
So, choose activities that, while challenging, are still enjoyable and satisfying. What about brain-training programs? The stress-busting, memory-boosting benefits of meditation The scientific evidence for the mental health benefits of meditation continues to pile up.
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