While self-care is the hot topic across many industries and lifestyles – and for good reason – it shouldn’t mean you ignore other people’s care needs, especially for elderly loved ones. You may already do a lot of them, such as checking in on them to prevent loneliness or make sure they get to their appointments. You might even book doctor or hospital appointments for them, and there’s no doubt they are grateful for this.
There’s always the chance to do a little more, though, especially when it comes to their memory and keeping them mentally sharp. As Alzheimer’s and dementia continue to devastate families, it’s worth knowing how to keep your loved ones engaged. Here is some advice to help your loved one with their memory.
Encourage Activity
Although research about exercise and reducing dementia is inconclusive, it can benefit your loved one in other ways. Primarily, regular exercise is ideal for improving fitness and balance, which can reduce the risk of falls and accidents that may cause the onset of Alzheimer’s or dementia, especially in seniors.
You shouldn’t force them to run a marathon or lift weights they can’t handle, but you can encourage them to take regular walks (with support if necessary) or join senior exercise groups. Exposing them to a wide range of safe activities can help them become more stable on their feet.
Challenge Their Brain
The brain works like your muscles. The more you use it, the stronger it will become. You can apply this to help your elderly relatives or friends maintain their memories. Challenging their brain through fun memory games that test them to remember things and even think outside of the box is a great way for them to stay busy around the house.
You can do these puzzles with them, or put them on their bedside table for them to try before bed and as soon as they wake up as this can develop a routine that will also benefit their memory.
Spend Time With Them
Many seniors experience loneliness, and the lack of human interaction can be ruinous for their memory. While a few days alone shouldn’t cause much damage to their memory, prolonged periods of isolation could have a damaging impact.
This is why you and your family should try to spend as much time with them as possible. However, this can be tricky depending on where you live. Regular visits, such as each weekend or at least a few times a month should be enough. If you can’t make it that often, regular phone or video calls are an effective solution.
Help Them Get More Organized
You can’t be with them all the time but you still want to make sure they can handle things by themselves. Don’t take control of everything as this can make them feel like you’re being overbearing and could impact their autonomy. Instead, see if there are any ways for you to improve their organizational skills.
It could be that they have everything arranged already, meaning you don’t have anything to do. However, if things seem messy and cluttered, it might be worth sitting down and helping them outline a routine, especially for taking medicine but also to give them something to do to keep themselves busy.
Recommend Supplements
You can also think about how clinical research in the drug development industry has contributed to improving the quality of life for seniors. There are many supplements available that can help them maintain excellent memory and stay mentally sharp. Options like phenylpiracetam are an excellent place to start as this provides the fundamental treatment your loved ones need and they can take it from the comfort of their home.
You mustn’t push these supplements, though. Instead, recommend them and demonstrate the benefits to give your loved ones something to consider.
Make Their Bedroom Comfortable
Not enough people understand the benefit of a good night’s sleep for memory. The more rest someone gets, the less they will need to deal with brain fog. In doing so, they will have a better time getting to sleep and waking up every morning. The benefits of this can be incredible, especially for seniors. It won’t take them a while to wake up, so they can feel ready for the day as soon as they get out of bed.
The bedroom should be dark, cool, and quiet. If they need something to help them sleep, such as a fan, you can buy that for them as well.
Push Them Toward Healthy Eating
A healthy diet is the cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. It can be difficult to change unhealthy habits, though, especially the older you get. Still, you can think about improving your loved one’s diet by cooking for them. Of course, this can be time-consuming, especially if you do it every day, so it’s worth considering alternatives.
If they enjoy cooking, meal boxes can introduce them to a range of different dishes and means they don’t need to go to the supermarket regularly. You can also meal prep for them and deliver dinners for the week to make sure they tick all their food group boxes.
Book Their Doctor’s Appointments For Them
Everyone has experience with stubborn aging parents who don’t want to go to the doctor. They feel fine, they say, and they’re quite happy sitting at home.
However, you also know that they need a check-up to make sure there are no issues. If there are issues, the doctor can deal with these swiftly. You can provide your information at the doctor’s office so they can get in touch with you if your loved one doesn’t pick up the phone, allowing you to keep a close eye on their health and catch problems before they become untreatable.
Remember, Remember
Memory can be tricky, especially as your loved ones get older. They can seem sharp as a tack one moment and then forget whether or not they’d boiled the kettle the next. These tips can help you support them in old age and encourage them to keep their memory as functional as possible to help them maintain a healthy and happy lifestyle.
