Ways to keep the aging mind stimulated

As we age, our cognitive skills may decline, but activities that stimulate the brain become as important to maintaining mental agility as physical activity is to maintaining strength and flexibility. If your loved one is showing signs of memory loss or has been diagnosed with dementia, be sure to find intellectual activities with challenges he or she can manage. Here are some ways to build mental muscle:

• Puzzles. Word games, jumbles and cryptograms, crosswords, and Sudoku can challenge the mind, and so can jigsaw puzzles.
• Games. Backgammon, chess, and checkers require strategy, as do several board games. Parlor games such as Charades require the mind to make connections, which helps with memory.
• Game shows. Trivia, word association, and matching games are an entertaining way to test memory (and it can be reassuring to see that contestants don’t always get the answers).
• Conversation. Asking your parents about their day requires them to rely on short-term memory, which is often the first to fade. If your loved one struggles to remember the day’s events, get them talking by looking through old photo albums or scrapbooks and asking for the stories behind snapshots or memorabilia.

Remember that physical and artistic activities are also important to keeping the mind sharp. Painting and drawing, or even listening to music, provide intellectual stimulation. Activities like cleaning the house, gardening, and walking the dog are physical enough to help build blood vessels that bring oxygen to the brain and other parts of the body.