Follow the links for more info....
Question - How do you keep a senior mentally fit?:
My grandmother is in a good nursing home. However, the only mental stimulus she receives is when family visits. She is legally blind and bed-ridden. She has good hearing, the use of one hand and is mentally sharp. But she remains in bed for most of the day except for meals and when she has a visitor. During visits it takes up to a 1/2 hour before she becomes fully aware of her surroundings again. By the end of a visit, she is able to fully understand and participate in a conversation.Are there excercises or products which she could use to assist in keeping her mental ability while she is unaccompanied?
Guide Responds:
It sounds as if your grandmother is really quite mentally fit, it may be the sensory deficits that are causing the problems. With her decreased vision she is not able to exercise that sense fully. Be sure you speak loud enough and explain who you are and why you are visiting. As she is unable to watch TV you may want to be sure she does have a radio and perhaps even "talking" books (books on cassette or CD).Talk with the activity director in the nursing home and make sure your grandmother is given the opportunity to participate in in activites and programs that are available. She maybe saying "no" when asked to participate just thinking it is too much trouble.
Visit as often as you can, there is nothing like human companionship to stimulate us mentally.
You'll also find it helpful to talk with others who may have similar experiences or problems. The best places to do that are our Forums and Chatroom.
If you have any questions or comments on senior health nutrition, fitness, etc., go to the Senior Health Forum where we are talking about the following:
The information contained in these pages
is for educational / reference use only.
