Choosing A Great Assisted Living Center

Five Ways To Boost Memory Health

10 September 2020 by Amanda Palmer

Watching your parent or loved one age is hard to do, and even harder when you watch them lose their memory. Memory care is something that caregivers work to provide all senior citizens and is at the forefront of the fight against Alzheimer's. Thankfully, there are five things you can do to help improve the memory and/or preserve what memory they have left.

Plenty of Sleep

Mental clarity is dependent on getting enough sleep, regardless of what age you are. You may hear teachers tell parents to make sure their children are going to bed at a decent time to make sure they are not battling "brain fog" during the day. The same is true for the elderly. Sleep helps strengthen the communication in the brain to aid with memory, so you want to make sure your loved one is getting between seven to eight hours of sleep every night. It is important, however, that the sleep is quality sleep. Getting eight hours of broken or light sleep is not going to benefit anyone. Make sure bedtime routines are kept and that your loved one is comfortable.

Healthy Diet

Maintaining a healthy diet is another vital part of maintaining good memory, as well as preventing strokes. Diets that are high in red meat, fried food, or dairy are known to cause LDL levels to rise. While it is commonly thought of interfering with the heart, anything that clogs the blood flow also will deplete oxygen to the brain. A healthy diet includes fruit, vegetables, and healthy fats from fish and nuts. It is important to find the freshest food possible and either eat it raw or steamed.

Socialize and Move

If you have sat around the house, you may already realize that a sedentary life is detrimental to mental health. It is common for people in nursing homes to move less and sit more, as well as withdraw from socialization. This is the worst possible thing for the brain. Whenever possible, go on walks with your family member or meet at the gym for some low impact workouts.

Mental Games

Keeping the brain engaged will help exponentially in preventing memory loss. Any activity that makes the brain work is good for seniors, including crafts for hand-eye coordination. When you go visit your loved one, consider working jigsaw puzzles, logic problems, crosswords, or other fun games that can become a routine. Brain activities will tire a person, so it may be good to make this part of nighttime routines or right before afternoon naps.

Test the Senses

Finally, routinely keeping the senses tested helps with memory retention. This includes bringing foods that were made during family gatherings, touching items from the house, viewing pictures taken over the years, or listening to songs that held memories. In addition to keeping the brain engaged, you may have the opportunity to hear memories that were locked away.

As your parents age, your need to spend time with them will increase. Even a few minutes a day can make a world of difference. Check in with them to make sure they are sleeping, eat meals with them, and create memories while boosting their memory to help increase their quality of life as they age.

For more information, reach out to a memory care service in your area.

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