Keeping your brain sharp is an important part of the aging process. It’s just as vital as having good physical health, some would say even more important. But like the body, the brain needs continual exercise or some type of brain fitness & social engagement services to help your senior keep it in shape.
If the brain isn’t used daily for complex reasoning, memory, and problem-solving, it can lose the ability to perform those functions well, making it more difficult for your loved one to enjoy her retirement years.
Five Key Areas to Focus on to Improve Brain Fitness Levels
While working on puzzles, reading, and watching documentaries on new topics to increase knowledge base are all important parts of brain fitness & social engagement services, there are five key areas your elderly loved one should focus on to maintain her brain’s fitness levels.
Cognitive Exercises
Probably the most unsurprising area to focus on is cognitive abilities. By regularly participating in the activities mentioned earlier, like puzzle solving and game playing, the brain builds up its cognitive reserve and strengthens its working memory.
Cognitive exercises can also involve physical movement, such as playing an instrument or meditating. Keeping the brain engaged in the present situation helps it stay in shape.
Physical Exercises
It’s generally recommended that most people strive for at least 150 minutes of physical exercise that gets the heart pumping a week. (Always check with your loved one’s doctors for their recommendations based on your loved one’s health.)
While physical exercise benefits the body in multiple ways, it also promotes new brain cell growth and encourages the formation of new connections in the brain, providing an extra reserve for any problem-solving or memory tasks it may need to perform.
Healthy Diet
Eating well helps maintain your loved one’s brain health and cognitive function. The brain and body require essential nutrients to function optimally.
The same diet that will help your loved one’s overall health – full of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and very few processed foods – will also help with your loved one’s brain fitness levels.
Good Sleep
Sleep is a crucial component of overall brain health and fitness. The brain needs healthy sleep habits to have the time necessary for rest, repair, and restoration of its functions.
Proper sleep can increase a person’s ability to remember key things, solve complex problems, and navigate tough spots in life without becoming overwhelmed.
Socializing
Spending time with family, friends, and even chatting with neighbors is great for your loved one’s social health, and it’s also wonderful for her overall brain fitness.
Socializing keeps the brain in shape by making it retrieve memories, follow social cues, tell stories, and solve problems. Socializing with others creates oxytocin and endorphin secretion in the brain, which have neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, and antidepressant benefits.
Improving Brain Fitness with Support from a Home Care Agency
If your loved one needs a little boost in her brain fitness activities but doesn’t know where to start, consider having regular visits from a home care provider who specializes in brain fitness & social engagement services to keep her brain in shape.
From playing games with your loved one to helping her follow a recipe to simply chatting with her over tea, a brain fitness & social engagement services provider will be working on improving your loved one’s brain fitness without your loved one even realizing it.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Brain Fitness & Social Engagement Services in Avon, CT, please contact the caring staff at Talem Home Care & Placement Services of Hartford, CT, today. Call (860) 969-3134
At Talem Home Care & Placement Services of Fort Hartford CT, we provide passionate, understanding, and flexible caregivers in Hartford, Avon, Berlin, Bloomfield, Cromwell, East Hartford, Farmington, Glastonbury, Kensington, Manchester, Middletown, New Britain, Newington, Rocky Hill, Simsbury, South Windsor, Wethersfield, Windsor and surrounding areas in Connecticut.
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