If you’ve watched a senior family member struggle with the debilitating impact of Alzheimer’s, it has probably crossed your mind that you could be at risk for the disease. Because researchers haven’t figured out what causes Alzheimer’s, knowing what steps you can take to prevent it isn’t an exact science. But there are strong theories that might help. One of which involves brain games and apps.

Using Brain Games and Apps to Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s research seems to suggest that a set of techniques called ‘brain training’ may significantly reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Although research is on-going, preliminary results are encouraging.

Brain training is based on the idea that you can reduce the risk of cognitive impairment by challenging the brain regularly with a variety of tasks and exercises. These exercises can include activities like crossword puzzles, Sudoku, and taking up new hobbies as you grow older. They may also include a variety of computer brain games and apps.

6 Brain Game Apps That May Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

While research is required to support the evidence that brain training can prevent Alzheimer’s, these six apps are ones to consider downloading. Each one is challenging and entertaining.

1. Luminosity App

With more than 70 million users worldwide, the Luminosity App is one of the most popular brain training apps on the market. It features a wide variety of games, each of which is designed to sharpen specific areas of brain functioning such as memory, attention, and processing speed.

2. Peak Brain Training

Another popular cognitive improvement app, Peak Brain Training uses a number of short but intense exercises to improve mental skills like focus, problem-solving skills, and computational speed. It also features a virtual coach that helps track progress and point out problem areas.

3. Dakim Brain Fitness

This app offers cross-training for the aging brain, with more than 100 different types of mental exercises that can simultaneously improve mental functioning and keep the user engaged. This app is especially promising because many of its exercises are based on the work of psychologists and brain researchers.

4. Elevate

The Elevate App features simple and easy-to-access mini-games that use progressively more difficult exercises to improve mental speed, mathematical skills, concentration, and memory. Similar in some ways to Peak, Elevate is visually appealing, fast-paced, and entertaining.

5. BrainyApp

This Australian app uses a more comprehensive approach to dementia prevention by providing challenges and rewards across five different lifestyle areas. These areas include heart health, physical exercise, cognitive maintenance, proper diet, and social activities. The BrainyApp differs from others of its kind because of its holistic approach to Alzheimer’s prevention.

6. Cognifit Brain Fitness

This app features an initial cognitive assessment, as well as access to a wide range of entertaining and challenging games. The games were designed with the input of neuroscientists to help improve brain functioning in several different areas.

Hope for Older Americans with Alzheimer’s

At Heritage Senior Living communities, one of our goals is to inspire hope for people with dementia. In our memory care programs across Michigan, we help people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia live their best quality of life.

From dedicated dining to continuous caregiver training, we are committed to empowering adults with dementia. We invite you to schedule a personal visit to learn more!

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One of the nicest things about the holiday season is the many opportunities we have for celebrating with friends and family. Between all the parties and family get-togethers, it’s traditionally a very social time of year. Naturally, you want to include everyone in the festivities.

For people who have a loved one with dementia, the holidays can be a bit more challenging.

You have to think about their comfort and safety, and you want everyone to have a good time. With a few considerations, you can still have a joyous season where everyone gets involved in the holiday fun.

Three Safe Ways to Include a Senior With Dementia in Your Celebrations

All it takes is a little forethought, and you can plan events that are fun and festive for everyone.

1. Include Your Senior Loved One in Holiday Cooking

During the holidays, the air is full of familiar scents like turkey roasting or cookies baking in the oven. Just having your loved one around while you’re cooking can be a good way to include them. The familiar, comforting cooking aromas may spark pleasant memories of holiday celebrations from their past. There’s a name for when that happens: sense memory.

If you’re not familiar with the concept, it’s the idea that our five senses play an important role in creating memories. Recalling certain parts of the past may be difficult for someone who has dementia but tapping into sense memory may be easier.

That’s especially important to remember during this time of year when there’s plenty of opportunity for using the senses to engage your loved one. Although memories can be triggered by any of the five senses, the strongest connections are made between smell and memory. The olfactory bulb, which handles scent, is located next to the part of the brain that’s responsible for our memories.

2. Involve Them in Holiday Preparations

If they’re able, your senior loved one could even help with the baking. That way, they can feel they’ve played a role in the holiday preparations.

In fact, there are lots of ways to weave purposeful activities into holiday celebrations with your loved one. Even if it’s something as simple as hanging decorations on a tree or placing non-breakable decorations around the house, helping may make your loved one feel useful and more involved.

But we want to caution you about holiday decorations and adults with dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association recommends avoiding using blinking lights. These have been known to cause confusion and anxiety in people who have dementia.

3. Read Holiday Stories Together

Reading aloud to people who have dementia has been found to be therapeutic in many instances. During the holidays, it can be a powerful way to engage them in the spirit of the season.

This works especially well if you have children in your family. For your senior loved one, hearing traditional stories read aloud may not only evoke fond memories but it may also ease feelings of stress.

Celebrating the Holidays at Heritage Senior Living Communities

Heritage Senior Communities is a family-owned company. We know about the importance of family bonds and celebrations throughout the year, not just the holidays. It’s part of living a full, satisfying life.

For our residents with dementia, we have The Terrace–a space that’s 100 percent dedicated to improving their quality of life.

If you’d like to know more about specialized dementia care at The Terrace, we invite you to call us any time!

Halloween is a favorite time of year for many of us, young and old alike. The costumes, parties, and trick-or-treating are time-honored traditions enjoyed by people of all ages. But for someone who has Alzheimer’s disease, Halloween can be downright frightening.

Halloween can trigger anxiety and confusion in people who have Alzheimer’s disease.

If you are a caregiver for someone who has Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, here are some ideas to help keep them safe this Halloween.

Tips for Keeping a Senior with Alzheimer’s Safe on Halloween

There’s always uncertainty about how someone with Alzheimer’s will react in new situations. Here’s what you can do to help them stay calm and comfortable during this spooky celebration.

1. Choose Decorations Wisely

Decorating your house with tombstones, cobwebs, bats, and ghosts might seem harmless, but they can cause anxiety for someone with dementia. That also extends to front yard decorations, especially if it is the entrance your loved one typically uses to enter the house. Instead, opt for pumpkins, mums and less threatening forms of decorations this year.

2. Decorate Sparingly

If you do decide to decorate, do so sparingly. A change in environment is tough for someone with memory impairment. Going overboard on Halloween decorating can change the look of your home. That may cause your loved one to become disoriented or confused.

3. Keep Nighttime Lights to a Minimum

Illuminated jack-o-lanterns, flashing lights, candles, and anything else that lights up the night can cause problems with visual perception. People with dementia often have perception problems already, and these types of lighting can exacerbate these issues.

4. Try a Less Invasive Way of Handing Out Candy

A constant stream of costumed strangers ringing the doorbell can cause anxiety and agitation for an older adult with memory impairment. People with dementia rely on a consistent sense of place and home in order to feel calm and comfortable. All those invaders begging for candy and screaming ‘trick or treat!!’ can be difficult to process.

Try putting the candy on your porch with a note for kids to help themselves. If you’re afraid they’ll help themselves a little too much, consider setting up shop on the porch while your loved one with dementia stays safely inside.

5. Be Mindful of Where You Place Decorations

Adults with dementia often develop vision problems, as well as difficulty with mobility. It puts them at greater risk for falls. As you are decorating for Halloween, think carefully about your loved one’s pathways and be sure to keep them clear.

Heritage Senior Communities in Michigan

Just like you, we want adults with dementia to enjoy every holiday and special occasion without sacrificing their sense of safety or their dignity. It’s at the core of what we do each day.

If you are looking for dementia care for a Michigan senior you love, we can help. Call the Heritage Senior Community nearest you to learn more!