It’s often frustrating when you can’t remember names or dates, where you’ve placed an item or important details of a story. For older adults, especially those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s, these memory lapses can occur quite frequently.
As a senior care services provider, you can share some of these tips with patients to help with their memory:
Get a good night’s sleep: Poor slumber is tied to a variety of health issues, and memory trouble is one of them. Explain to seniors that when they are tired during the day from a poor night’s sleep, it affects their concentration and can make recalling facts and information more challenging.
Repeat names: Remembering names can be difficult, so you can suggest that when a patient meets someone new, they should repeat the person’s name back to them a couple of times to help it stick in the mind. Additionally, if they are having trouble remembering friend’s and family member’s names, they can make a photo album, and you can go through it together as they tell you who everyone is.
Stay socially active: Engaging in social activities with others helps the brain stay sharp. Conversations with friends and loved ones, partaking in a hobby and even learning a new language (especially in a class setting) will assist with cognitive function.
Embrace a healthy diet: Eating well is important for overall health, but certain vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C and E and beta carotene also help with memory. Fruits, veggies and fish feature antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids and other nutrients that can help older adults remember better.
