Reading, games, reminiscing, watching history shows on television, and computer time can all be considered intellectually stimulating activities.
It’s important to nourish and exercise the mind, just like the body. Daily doses of intellectual activities are stimulating. Intellectual activities allow us to express opinions, remember, learn something new, and keeps us connected to the outside world. To make these activities successful for an older person, consider the following:
- Cognitive abilities, attention spans, decision-making skills, and ability to understand and be understood, varies from person to person.
- Make the activity fun. If an activity isn’t going well, change the activity. If a person cannot sit through a game, play half the game and do something else. In other words, don’t let someone get to the point of frustration.
- Allow the person to express themselves to the best of their ability. Don’t correct a wrong or different answer. Validate what they are thinking or feeling and go with the flow.
Search the following ideas for intellectually stimulating activities that might work for your older friend or family member.
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