Crossword puzzles have proven to be beneficial for people suffering from dementia in many ways. If you have a loved one who has dementia, encouraging to take up crossword puzzles has numerous benefits that can improve their quality of life and potentially reduce the progress of the condition. The end result is a quality of life that will be vastly improved. Dementia is a condition that has been studied extensively, and practices such as reading and solving puzzles have been thoroughly examined to find out their effect on the condition. As it turns out, the benefits of playing crossword puzzles for people living with dementia are many.
Stress Relief
Most people think that the 60s and 70s in someone’s life is usually stress free. However, individuals in this age group tend to suffer from stress and anxiety arising from multiple factors including socioeconomic factors and worries about medical relief. Solving a crossword puzzle on a regular basis has been found to have a positive impact on one’s stress relief, and this leads to more cascading benefits including a lower risk of getting dementia. The stress-relieving effect of solving crossword puzzles also allows one to shift their attention from the problem at hand to the puzzle. With time, they may gain the skill to avoid mulling over a problem and just be content with life. In addition to dementia, this also helps reduce the incidence of anxiety and depression.
The Nostalgia Effect
Nostalgia has been studied and found to be a pretty powerful force when it comes to maintaining healthy brain function especially past one’s 60s. When one has nostalgia, it means that they connect with their past, and this has the tendency to strengthen neuronal connections. This is what the brain needs to reduce the chances of getting dementia and improving the symptoms of already present dementia.
This works through multiple ways, including having one remember when they used to solve crossword puzzles in the past. Certain words can also trigger memories when solving the puzzles, which can lead to the same effect. Over time, the process of solving puzzles makes the mind stronger, and can improve the individual’s general outlook on life. At Discovery Village at Southlake, we provide the Celebrations Activities and Events program, which is an exclusive program which allows members to take part in games and other forms of entertainment. They have the option to do this with other people, which also offers an opportunity to mingle.
It Enhances Calm
Completing crossword puzzles requires one to maintain concentration for some time. This can help alleviate the restlessness or agitation that dementia patients might have. This results in a calming effect which they can learn to master. The key is to keep completing puzzles frequently. This is easy since there are many online facilities that can be used.
Discovery Village at Southlake also offers games and other entertainment amenities to members. Find out more about our retirement community and what it has to offer in terms of health-promoting puzzles, entertainment and activities.
