Is your elderly loved one worried about getting dementia or any other neurodegenerative condition? If so, you and their senior home care providers should talk to them about how card games can help to improve their brain health. Numerous studies have been done to show how different card games use various parts of the brain to keep it active and healthy.

Here are some of the best card games to improve brain health for senior citizens.

Go Fish

Yes, Go Fish is one of the games that many children play throughout their childhood. However, that doesn’t mean that senior citizens can’t play it, too. Even though Go Fish is very simple to play, it can be fun and can keep the brain stimulated. If your elderly loved one is already struggling with some health issues, specifically brain health issues, playing Go Fish regularly with you or one of their caregivers could help to prevent future issues. At the very least, it might slow down brain deterioration.

Playing Bridge

Has your elderly loved one ever played Bridge? Many senior citizens play this card game. It encompasses many skills and techniques that keep the brain active such as:

• Paying attention
• Using strategy
• Using memory
• Concentration
• Partnership
• Quick thinking
• Patience
• Logic
• Reasoning
• Social skills

Many senior centers and other community centers offer card game days for senior citizens. You or a senior home care provider may want to look into this for your elderly loved one. Even if there is nothing like this in the area where your elderly loved one lives, maybe you or the senior home care provider can play Bridge with them.

Gin Rummy

Another card game that is beneficial for the brain is Gin Rummy. It is a favorite for many elderly people. One of the ways that it helps to keep the brain active is that it requires the players to pay attention to detail. Your elderly loved one would have to look at all the cards they chose and discarded. They would need to use their memory and plan ahead, too.

You and Senior Home Care Aides can Participate

There are many different card games that your elderly loved one could play to improve or even maintain their brain health. The ones that are noted here today would be great games for your elderly loved one to start playing soon. You or a senior home care provider could play with them. You could also try to find local card playing groups around where your elderly loved one lives.

Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6291491/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/the-thinking-on-brain-games

If you are considering Senior Home Care Services in Ashland OH, call the caring staff at Central Star Home Health at (419) 610-2161.  Providing services for families in Mansfield, Lexington, Bellville, Crestline, Galion, Shelby, Ashland, Ontario and the surrounding areas.

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Stephen Sternbach

CEO at Central Star Home Health Services

With over 35 years of experience, Stephen Sternbach has been the Chairman of the Board of Directors, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Star Multi Care Services since 1987. After the sale of the New York and New Jersey operations of Star Multi Care Services, Sternbach brought the company private where he remains President and CEO of this 40-million dollar company. With Sternbach at the helm, Star Multi Care Services employs more than 650 employees, in six offices throughout Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York.

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