Caregivers in Noblesville, IN

Believe it or not, just because you are relatively young, healthy, and active, that doesn’t mean you can ignore certain aspects of your total health. Total health involves staying in good physical condition, but also getting mental stimulation on a regular basis. When you’re a caregiver taking care of a family member or friend, for example, you may feel like it was the right decision, even though you may be giving up a lot of your personal time.

If that’s happening, you may be spending less time reading, doing puzzles, or doing other activities that mentally stimulate the brain. Getting proper mental stimulation helps to keep the brain as strong as possible. Remember, the brain is a muscle and needs regular exercise, just like every other muscle in your body, including your heart.

Doctors recommend people of all ages get at least 15 minutes of cardiovascular exercise every day in order to keep the heart strong and healthy. A person should also be getting at least 15 or 30 minutes of solid mental stimulation every day in order to keep that muscle in good condition. That also helps to reduce the risk of memory loss and developing certain forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s.

June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month and as such, here are three simple exercises that can stimulate the brain and provide the right type of exercise to stay mentally sharp and focused.

1. Do the crossword puzzle. Every single day it’s a good idea to pick up a crossword puzzle and work on it. If you don’t enjoy the crossword puzzle, try a Sudoku puzzle. Anything that requires concentration, thought, and problem solving is stimulating the brain. Do it every day.

2. Playing strategic thinking games. Playing a game of chess, Concentration, or something similar will force you to focus as much as possible on planning ahead, keeping track of information, and thinking about what your opponent is doing. That is great mental stimulation.

3. Read. When you read, you are taking the authors words and creating visual images in your own head based on your personal interpretation of the text and experiences. That is tapping into a tremendous amount of conscious and subconscious levels of the mind.

If you don’t feel like you have time to do these types of mental exercises, it may be time to talk about relying on an experienced and professional caregiver through an agency.

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 caregivers in Noblesville, IN and the surrounding areas. Call (317) 595-9933 for more information.