Brain Games When It Rains
Rain, Rain, Rain, go away, come back another day. Isn’t that what we want to say lately? Depression, loneliness, feeling isolation, these are just some of the feelings an elderly person may feel when they are at home and can’t get out without assistance.
Working in home care, we often see clients who are isolated and that don’t engage with anyone before or after their caregivers have had a visit with them. It’s important to stress the need for brain stimulation, so while we are with them we try and engage in some sort of activity. Finding the right activity can have its own challenges but we should do what we can to help, and what better time to do it than when it rains. Here are a few things you can to do to stir the pot if you will.
- Pen and Paper – You can jog their memory by talking about their history; write things down and create their very own Family Trivia Game.
- Word Search – maybe creating a time limit, solve the search together.
- Reading – newspapers, articles, current events.
- Board Games – any board game. Checkers, backgammon, cribbage, etc.
Keeping your mind sharp is hard to do when you’re home alone, especially as you get older. If you are with your elderly family member, friend or you are a caregiver, start the brain games. When it’s raining and pouring, your day doesn’t have to be boring.