In the United States, memory problems affect around 16,000,000 elderly people. These issues are real scourges that deteriorate the quality of life for seniors. To reverse the generally progressive process of memory loss, many solutions are proposed. Among them, creative leisure activities aim to work on the senior's brain while providing a sense of well-being and relaxation.

Some creative leisure activities to stimulate seniors' memory

To work on an elderly person's memory, it is ideal to have them work on a project, focusing and seeing the work accomplished. In this regard, there are many beneficial activities. Cooking, paint by numbers, or board games are all activities that can help a senior's memory.

Paint by numbers

Also called art painting, paint by numbers is a creative hobby that involves painting a predrawn sketch on a linen canvas. The correct colors to apply to each part of the canvas are indicated by reference numbers. This simplistic and enjoyable art form also helps stimulate the intellect and senses. If you want to stimulate a loved one's memory or simply get started, you can get your kit of paint by numbers for adults on usa.figuredart.com, the official website of Figured’Art brand for USA.

Diamond Painting

Diamond painting is a manual activity during which the senior creates beautiful pictures using small, colorful rhinestones to stick onto a self-adhesive canvas. This game, similar to a puzzle, requires reassembling the pattern by placing the rhinestones in the correct order and following the colors. Although this activity appears very easy, making a diamond painting kit requires a lot of concentration, reflection, memorization, and patience from the practitioner. This is excellent for working on memory.

Scratch Painting

Scratch painting is a fun activity suitable for working on a senior's memory. As the name suggests, it involves scratching the surface of a picture with a coin or stylus, like a lottery scratch-off. It requires interest and concentration from the senior, as the proper scratching techniques need particular attention. In the end, they will discover the final picture and undoubtedly enjoy it. Practicing this exercise will be beneficial for their memory.

Music Therapy

This is the use of sound and music to treat and alleviate disorders. It is most often used for subjects experiencing relational, behavioral, or communicational difficulties. Also, if the treated person suffers from a health problem, this will help alleviate it. Music therapy has benefits for seniors with memory problems. It allows them to mobilize concentration, emotions, and memory in a playful way. This artistic activity is very rewarding for them and helps increase self-esteem.

Why does memory tend to decline over time?

With age, memory decline and memorization difficulties seem inevitable. This problem can occur naturally due to the progressive degeneration of the brain. In this case, one of the first factors implicated is sleep quality. Indeed, it is scientifically proven that without good deep sleep, memory tends to deteriorate. However, seniors' sleep is often disrupted, and it is concluded that this is one of the fundamental causes of their memory failures.

Pressure and stress are also factors that block memory and prevent people from easily remembering certain things. Poor nutrition can also cause these problems. Moreover, this issue can be due to a neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's, trauma, and many other causes.

Why is it important to exercise the brain?

There are several ways to combat an elderly person's memory loss. Aspects such as sleep, relaxation, nutrition, and immediate environment should not be neglected. However, it is also crucial to exercise memory to maintain it. Indeed, the brain is a muscle. And like any muscle in the human body, it needs a lot of exercise to be boosted.

To better understand, observe a senior who has trouble walking. The less they practice walking, the more difficulty they will have. However, if they persist, even with difficulties, they will have a better chance of not losing their mobility. It is somewhat the same for memory, especially for seniors. If they think, memorize, and concentrate as often as possible, their memory will decline much more slowly.