Many elements of daily life can become more difficult and frustrating as we get older, and the primary example for many people is memory loss. At Cozy Retire, our memory care facility is designed to help manage these aging complications in a way that keeps your loved one comfortable and healthy along the way.

Memory care is an ongoing process, and one that you can be of assistance with if you have a family member living in one of our assisted living communities. Here are some things you can encourage to help a loved one stave off the effects of damaging memory loss.

Sensory Memory Recall

Much of memory care is aimed at keeping mental pathways open that are tempted to close with age, and the senses can be a great tool here. There’s evidence that many memories in the brain can be “awakened” by a familiar song or melody from a younger period in life – similar sensations can be true with other senses like touch, taste and smell. This is called sensory memory recall, and all its formats are a great tactic.

Skill Development

Keeping the brain active in a challenging way is important for retaining memory, and asking it to continue learning new skills will keep it stimulated. Keep things simple enough that you aren’t risking confusion or frustration from your loved one, but keeping them learning will also help retain prior life experiences.

Reading

Not being able to recall words is often one of the first signs of Alzheimer’s or dementia. Reading can help prevent this, and therefore can help prevent the early onset of these diseases.

Games and Challenges

Similar to learning a new skill, playing games keeps the brain challenged. Card games and dice games can help boost cognitive function, and as a bonus, many of these games are great social outlets for seniors.

Want to learn more about our memory care facility, or any other element of our retirement community? The caregivers are Cozy Retire are standing by.