by: Jeremy Mervin
A natural occurrence of ageing is suffering lowered body functions. It is not uncommon to have impaired vision, lowered mobility and even delayed cerebral responses. The most pronounced disability among many of the elderly is failing memory.
There are two aspects of memory - the long term, and short term memory. While long term memory is manifested by the recall of things which have occurred in the past, short term memory is the recall of objects, events and stimuli which the person has been exposed to in the immediate past. You will find that most elders have trouble with their short term memory. They can easily recall events which transpired many years ago. Try and get them to remember something they did the previous day, and they draw a blank.
While memory loss is bound to affect people, there are ways that rapid deterioration can be prevented. It requires a little quality time to be spent, and you will have to be patient. However, the benefits completely outweigh the little inconvenience.
Try and make it a habit to discuss things which are occurring, or have just happened recently. It may be interesting and useful to talk about news of the previous day. This will not only help them recall these events, but also put them in perspective so they may be remembered. These bits of information are also relevant to the elderly, so talk about it.
Play small memory games. If the member is active, try and ask them to recall where they left things a short while ago. Try and get them to remember where their glasses are, where they left their walking stick, or in which room a particular object is. This will get them thinking, and also reactivate the mind.
Crosswords are wonderful tools. These help you make good use of your time, and also prevent memory from failing. Initially, you might need to help them more with words, but soon you will find them getting better. Crosswords are great with memory. Often, the elderly find themselves struggling for words, and frame sentences which are not completely cogent. This is because their memory is not sharp enough for them to be able to recall and put together words as effectively. Crosswords and other word puzzles will help keep their vocabulary enriched.
Talk to your elderly member about the family. Quiz them about relatives, and their offspring. Make it more interactive, and less like an interrogation. Weave in incidents and episodes which have taken place. In this manner, you will get them to remember who their family is, and also bring them up to date with what is going on around them. This information is very important to them, as they should know where their relatives and other significant people are. This will also help them adjust socially, and you will find them enjoying the company of extended family more. Many people complain that they do not want to see relatives. This is because they are unable to remember them, or relate to them for lack of recall.
Author is an expert technical writer for senior citizen websites who specializes in senior citizen article writing. For more information on senior citizens, please visit Senior Living
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