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Does anyone have a recommendation for materials that improve memory and cognitive skills that are not computer based?

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My husband has Lewy Body Dementia, and can still play Train Dominoes and Rumycube (not spelled right) that he has played for years. After diagnosis he learned Uno and Skipbo, both card games. Recently (mid-stage dementia) he learned a dice game called Farkel. So anything with numbers, sequences, colors seem to work and keep his brain as active as possible as instructed by his doctor, and hopefully keep mine going too.
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Luminosity is computer based. I believe the question wanted to rule the computer out. But, having been on it previously, it is great and those are the types of things I get tested on when I go for my research study at Mayo Clinic.
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I just signed up for Luminosity. It is same price per month as your Ginko supplement. Lets just say, apparently I have room for improvement. It was not too hard, but it will help memory and other areas of brain function.
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Exercise, exercise, exercise, do math problems, use your verbal skills by interacting with lots of different people (all ages), and make sure you are eating foods that stimulate brain cell activity (i.e. salmon, tuna, blueberries, avocados, etc.). Do reading of medical type books that talk about brain health to help yourself, keep your weight appropriate to your height, and keep a positive outlook. Anyone can get dementia so do all you can do and if you get it, then get help.
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Constant communication with loved ones who has dementia or Alzheimer's, it's a good way of encouraging them to think, however, keep your response short..complex sentences or responses would only cause trouble in their understanding or comprehension. It would also be a great help to keep them involved in activities that would stimulate their mind like jigsaw puzzles or any activities with images. A photo collage of the family will be a good exercise. And remember to avoid confusing them by changing the positions of the furniture or moving their bed. If you are to travel with them, drive along the roads that they are used to :)
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Has anyone ever tried Legos? I got the idea this morning when mom seemed to be enjoying stacking dirty breakfast dishes in different ways.
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Anything that is novel and complex helps make new pathways in the brain (neuroplasticity). A brain that is challenged is like a lush forest, vs the desert island of an unchallenged brain. Alzheimer's is like a weed wacker, wrecking havoc on the desert island, but having less impact on the lush forest. Drive new routes, learn new things(to dance, play an instrument, a new language,) garden, do handwork (knit, crochet, or quilt,) exercise, read, play games, socialize; all help maintain or gain brain function.
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Thank you pipruby, I didn't know that. I think I will go back to using it because my heart is not a problem yet, but my memory is!
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Keep in mind that Gingko is a blood thinner. Check with your MD, especially if you are on meds. Music and dancing can also help keep your brain thinking.
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I think that word search puzzles are good for the brain... I made a memory type game for some folks with actual pictures of animals and flowers from magazines. I then laminated the pictures and it worked well, and it was fun Keep in mind often their attentions spans are not long. Make a lifestory book for them... Of pictures from their life. NOT a big scrape book but just a small book with one or two pictures on a page. Events and things precious to the individual. It can be very hard sometimes I think music is the best thing. But for most "older folks" It would not be current music older stuff, Doris Day, Bing Crosby, Perry Como even Lawrence Welk. take care...
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You might try foreign language learning tapes or CDs. There are some designed for young children, others that are more scholarly based, and there are those that are in between.
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My mother enjoys the large print Word Search puzzles. She sits for hours and tries to find words in the puzzle. I have tried coloring, jigsaw puzzles, dolls, etc. and my mom hasn't had any long term interest in them. She reads (or should I say stares at) the paper for hours. Then does the Word Search puzzles. She is actually doing them and doing them correctly. It takes her some time but she feels it is helping to exercise her brain.
Physical exercise is also good but my mom has difficulty walking so she prefers not to.
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There's a kids' board game that calls for matching faces. I think it's called "Guess Who?" I love it and would play it as an adult, so I highly recommend it!
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Walking is definitely good, as is good nutrition. Vegetables and fruit high in antioxidants may help, as well. Nothing is certain, but there are things we can try.
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They say walking is good exercise for the brain too! Some find benefit from Ginko Biloba, but it hasn't helped me much. The more vegetables you can eat the better to nourish the brain also.
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I'm not sure from your note whether you are looking for something to help someone with dementia or looking to prevent dementia.

If the person already has Alzheimer's or another dementia, there are puzzles and other games on sites such as the ones mentioned by lily04 as well as alzstore.com. You can call your local Alzheimer's organization for recommendations as well.

If you want to improve your own mind, reading - even novels - can be excellent, as can challenging crossword puzzles and complicated physical puzzles.

The key is to do things differently, however, so even a crossword puzzle that is similar to the others becomes less of a challenge.

Experts often recommend just doing things in reverse, such as brushing your teeth left handed or reversing your morning routine in some way. All of this works to challenge the brain and jog it out of rote thinking. Developing a new hobby, volunteering and other social activities can help, too.

Take care,
Carol
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This company sells games for use with Alzheimer's paitients. I haven't bought them myself, but they look high quality and very interesting.

minddesigngames

also, Springbok sells really nice puzzles, with 36 large pieces that my mother enjoys. I believe that doing puzzles can stimulate thinking.
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