Top Cognitive Games for Seniors to Boost Brain Health

According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), approximately two-thirds of Americans experience cognitive impairment by the average age of 70. The organization also states that dementia, one of the most common forms of cognitive impairment, affects nearly 10% of people aged 75 to 84 worldwide. The rate is higher in individuals 85 and older: a staggering 29.3%.

As adults age, they can expect mild cognitive changes, such as slightly diminishing attention and thinking speed. What isn't normal is rapid and severe cognitive decline.

Fortunately, many cognitive games for seniors can help keep the brain sharp or slow down its impairment.

In this guide, our team at Cardinal Place in Cambridge, OH, has shared the top gamified brain exercises for seniors, so please read on.

Crossword Puzzles

Crossword puzzles are among the best mental games for elderly adults, and research backs their benefits up.

For example, according to Science Alert, one large study conducted by Texas A&M University, University of Southern Mississippi, and Indiana University collected data from 5,932 people aged 50 and above with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

The researchers followed them for eight years, starting in 2012. They examined how often the participants engaged in cognitively stimulating leisure activities (CSLAs), including crossword puzzles.

The researchers found that participants with high levels of engagement in crossword puzzles and other CSLAs had:

• Higher cognitive function during the study
• A maintained high level of cognitive function
• Better memory, cognitive processing speed, and memory

So, the more crossword puzzles older adults do, the more potential positive impact these senior cognitive activities may have.

Because of those possible benefits, our senior living community, Cardinal Place in Cambridge, OH, incorporates crossword puzzles into our engaging and recreational activity calendar. Here, our residents can join a crossword puzzle club. They can also enjoy other similar activities, such as word-finding games, puzzles, and trivia days regularly.

Bingo

According to an article published on DoveMed, people of all ages have enjoyed playing bingo for centuries. After all, it's an exhilarating and social game that the young and old alike can participate in. It can also serve as one of the best memory games for seniors.

One reason is that bingo stimulates mental and cognitive functions, requiring players to listen, concentrate, and recall numbers. The DoveMed article says these actions can help keep the brain active, potentially reducing cognitive decline.

Bingo can also help maintain and improve people's coordination of their listening, vision, and mobility skills. When players hear the number called out, they must use their eyes to look for the correct number on their bingo cards. Then, they must quickly move their hands and fingers to punch it.

Bingo is also an effective way to alleviate stress since it's a fun, social way for older adults to meet and laugh together. The less stressed seniors are and the more social they become, the less likely they are to feel lonely and isolated.

At Cardinal Place in Cambridge, OH, bingo is a staple of our event and activity calendar. We organize games multiple times weekly, encouraging our residents to have a wonderful time and stimulate their cognition.

Card Games

Cards also make for excellent mind games for older adults, as these activities engage various cognitive skills, such as:

• Attention
• Concentration
• Critical thinking
• Reasoning
• Memory

For instance, regardless of the type of card game, players must be attentive to their moves, even more so if they have opponents. They must concentrate, strategize, and use logical reasoning to determine if their moves will help them beat the game or their opponents. Memorization is also necessary to remember the games' rules or, if applicable, one's moves and that of the other players.

Research backs up card games' mental and cognitive benefits, especially for older people. According to a study published on PubMed Central, playing cards can benefit seniors by:

• Improving cognitive reserve
• Protecting cognitive function
• Restoring cognitive skills
• Helping lower the risk of dementia

The same study noted that cards, as a group entertainment, can also promote social health and wellness. Such games can serve as an outlet for older adults to communicate with others and provide each other with emotional support. For these reasons, our activity organizers at Cardinal Place regularly schedule card games for our residents.

Mahjong

Another rousing and social game that can help older adults keep their brains sharp is mahjong, which originated in China. It involves beautifully adorned tiles that players must arrange in specific combinations to beat their opponents. It's social because each session requires four players.

While mahjong isn't extremely difficult, it requires players to use the following cognitive and physical skills:

• Memorization of the games' rules and recall of the discarded tiles
• Reasoning and strategy-making to form the most appropriate combinations
• Attention and concentration to pick up tiles from other players to form winning combinations
• Observation of other players' moves to help with strategy-making
• Eye-and-hand coordination

Mahjong can be an excellent game for older adults since it requires many skills that engage the brain and body. Indeed, an article published on Springer Link says that emerging evidence suggests mahjong for seniors may:

• Slow cognitive deterioration
• Ease depressive symptoms in older adults experiencing dementia
• Stabilize or enhance cognitive function
• Improve eye-hand coordination
• Help seniors have a sense of social connection

Residents of Cardinal Place, our senior living community in Cambridge, OH, enjoy regular rousing games of mahjong. It's one of the many activities we hold regularly to encourage them to stay social and help keep their minds stimulated.

Enjoy Many Cognitive Games for Seniors at Cardinal Place

Crossword puzzles, card games, bingo, and mahjong are some of the top cognitive games for seniors. And because they're group games, they're also excellent ways for older adults to socialize, meet new people, and make friends.

At Cardinale Place in Cambridge, OH, you or your older loved one can enjoy all those games and more. We also have many other mentally and physically engaging activities, such as group exercises, educational programming, live entertainment, and arts and crafts.

We invite you to contact us and schedule a visit to our beautiful assisted living community. We look forward to touring you and showing you how vibrant and thriving our residents are.