As your loved one ages, the list of recreational activities they can safely engage in can wear thin. Thankfully, activities such as card games can keep your elderly loved one playful and not to mention, quick-minded! Read on to learn about how card games can not only maintain but improve your loved one’s cognitive ability.
Boosts Short-term Memory
Card games naturally create an atmosphere that demands players to pay attention to the ongoing game. Furthermore, playing card games requires your loved one to remember various aspects of the game. They tend to win more often when they commit strategic parts of the game to memory: their turn is, the game’s rules, and the meanings of the cards. This makes card games an excellent brain-stimulating activity for older adults that they can enjoy in the safe comfort of their homes.
Provides Social Opportunities
Social isolation can negatively impact cognitive function in your loved one, which emphasizes the importance of elderly individuals’ need for social interaction. Card games are an effective medium to hold a conversation over, as not only do they lend themselves well to communication, but it also stimulates the mind. For example, studies have implied that activities such as card games can be considered cognitive training, and when paired with a social engagement element like playing in a group, can lead to improved executive control. Hence, it’s always a good idea to round up a group of friends to join in the fun!
Enhances Mental Sharpness and Agility
Playing card games encourages neurons to create new neural pathways of communication, strengthening your loved one’s cognitive skills over a game of cards. Furthermore, many card games require players to strategize and think steps ahead of their opponent. This allows your loved one to exercise their problem-solving, decision-making, and strategy-building skills. A few games we recommend to play with your loved one to exercise these skillsets are Goofspies and Rummy. They train your loved one to think and plan ahead of you, and are simply a fun time! Even when you lose against your loved one, you’ll be celebrating for them, knowing that they’re keeping their mind sharp.
Relieves Stress
With the dramatization of high-stakes gambling in pop culture, it’s easy to forget that card games are a form of amusement and leisure, making them a surprisingly effective stress-reliever. They serve as a stimulating brain teaser, but at the end of the day, there’s nothing more fun than a good game of cards with your buddies. By spending a pleasant night playing Poker with a loved one, it doesn’t matter who wins or loses. Behind the scenes, your loved one’s stress hormones are decreasing as you play on, improving blood flow to their brain and enhancing cognitive function as a result. At such a sensitive stage of their life, stress can lead to higher mortality rates, which stresses the importance of keeping your loved one’s stress down.
TerraBella Summerville is the perfect assisted living community for your loved one to stay social, and keep the cogs of their brain moving. To learn more about how we enable their independent lifestyle, take a look at our senior living options!
