Here at Bel Aire Senior Living, we also provide memory care. We have several activities that improve our residents’ cognitive ability. These activities include listening to music, scenic bus rides, walking in the garden, sensory activities, book clubs, art, sing-along, brain-stimulating games, and many more. Along with activities, it is extremely important that we help the resident stick to a routine to get organized, get quality sleep, and maintain healthy eating habits.
The Mayo Clinic Staff gives us 7 helpful tips to improve memory in an article they wrote on healthy aging.
- Include physical activity in your daily routine. Physical activity increases blood flow to your whole body, including your brain…
- Stay mentally active…
- Socialize regularly…
- Get organized…
You’re more likely to forget things if your home is cluttered and your notes are in disarray. Jot down tasks, appointments, and other events in a special notebook, calendar, or electronic planner. You might even repeat each entry out loud as you jot it down to help cement it in your memory. Keep to-do lists current and check off items you’ve completed. Set aside a place for your wallet, keys, glasses, and other essentials.
Something else that can help is to limit distractions and try not to do too many things at once. If you focus on the information that you’re trying to retain, you’re more likely to recall it later.
- Sleep well. …
Sleep plays an important role in helping you consolidate your memories, so you can recall them down the road. Make sleep a priority. Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep a day.
- Eat a healthy diet. …
A healthy diet might be as good for your brain as it is for your heart. Eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Choose low-fat protein sources, such as fish, beans, and skinless poultry. What you drink counts, too. Too much alcohol can lead to confusion and memory loss. So can drug use.
- Manage chronic conditions.
We listed some important advice from the article that helps emphasize the tips they have given us. At Bel Aire, we try to maintain these important steps in helping improve memory. We encourage you to show these tips to people you know that could benefit from them!