When the heat is hard to beat in the summer, one way to cool off is to take advantage of the air conditioning indoors at home or community centers. Part of elder caregiving can be well spent with seniors working on their memory skills and exercising cognitive and language skills.

The AARP has many online resources for brain health and wellness that can

be a fun way to problem solve for various skill levels. Games include Countdown, The Right Word, Private Eye, Shapes and Colors, Split Words, and Entangled Figures. These online games can hone language skills, strengthen visual and auditory memory and sharpen analytical skills while staying out of the heat that can affect the senior population negatively in the summer months. Learn more at http://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/brain_games.

Staying socially and intellectually active is important for brain health and cognitive function as we age, according to Elizabeth Agnvall, in the June 2015 AARP Bulletin.

“Activities that challenge your brain — including reading books, writing letters and learning a new language — all help preserve brain function, as do social activities such as volunteering, playing cards, attending worship services and talking with friends,” she says.

The AARP co-sponsored a report on brain health that concluded the keys to staying sharp into very old age are regular exercise, heart health maintenance, and minding medications. “Cognitive decline is not inevitable as we age,” the AARP says.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Healthy Brain Initiative is dedicated to enhancing the physical health of older adults and maintaining cognitive health, a vital part of healthy aging and quality of life. The CDC defines cognition as a “combination of mental processes that includes the ability to learn new things, intuition, judgment, language, and remembering.”

“People of all ages can experience cognitive impairment, which can range from mild to severe. Cognitive impairment is not caused by any one disease or condition,” says the CDC. “Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and conditions such as stroke and traumatic brain injury can cause cognitive impairment. Some causes of cognitive impairment are related to treatable health issues (e.g., medication side effects, vitamin B12 deficiency, and depression).”

Great Care in-home caregivers can be a helpful resource in assisting with the various stages and symptoms of cognitive impairment for seniors, says Great Care Founder and CEO Julie Sullivan.

“We are finding that as the older adult population increases, so does the need for caregivers who can specifically have an impact on our elders, especially when it comes top cognitive health.”

Sitting down with seniors to help with crossword puzzles, word scrambles or math games are just a few of the ways Great Care caregiving can help make an impact. Games of all levels can be found in local newspapers and bookstores, as well as online at sites such as AARP.

Erin Matlock, an advocate for brain health and mental health consumers, created the Brain Pages website for seniors who want to improve their cognitive abilities. The site is a resource offering brain games, teasers, optical illusions, info on brain food, and the latest in brain training. The site can also help seniors and their caregivers find help with a brain friendly directory providing immediate access to local doctors, therapists and experts in their area of need.

Learn more at http://brainpages.org.

The professionals at Great Care are available to talk with you and your family about all of your home care needs. Great Care is a non medical in-home care agency providing quality and affordable elder care in Fishers, IN and the surrounding areas. Call (317) 595-9933 for more information.