ElderGadget is no stranger to brain games, and you shouldn’t be either. That’s because these games are more than just distractions. They can actually improve some of the mental, physical and psychological abilities that tend to decrease as we age.
While brain games can’t solve every problem or reverse every malady they may leave a marked difference on elderly players, especially those who are just beginning to show signs of decline. So identify one of the 10 areas where you or your aging parent may need improvement and try out a few of these entertaining (and addictive) games.
1. Delay Dementia
There are many studies, including this one from the New England Journal of Medicine, that note how cognitive activities, such as crossword puzzles, checkers and card games can reduce one’s rate of dementia by up to 63%.
That’s why companies like Posit Science have created computerized versions of these games and more, which, so far, have produced positive results in clinical studies for individuals who have early to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
Posit’s Brain Fitness Program contains a couple games aimed directly at elderly Alzheimer’s sufferers. They include Story Teller, which tells a story that must be summarized, and Sound Replay, which presents a series of audio syllables that must be recalled in the proper order.
Posit Science Brain Fitness Program
2. Improve Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is what leads us to make the best decisions based on a thoughtful analysis of the information we have. This normally sharp skill can begin to weaken as we age, causing us to think less clearly, logically or thoroughly about the task at hand. Sudoku is the perfect example of a game that requires players to use the information presented to reach the right conclusion.
Sudoku can be found all over the Internet, although most sites require users to register and often post only one new puzzle per day or even week. That’s why we recommend the Little Black Book of Sudoku.
Created by Will Shortz, the editor of the New York Times crossword puzzle, this hardback, spiral-bound book contains 400 puzzles of varying skill levels. This allows Sudoku newbies to try the game out before advancing to more difficult puzzles.
Will Shortz Presents The Little Black Book of Sudoku: 400 Puzzles
3. Refine Observation Skills
As our minds get older, our abilities to note small details and minor changes can diminish. This can affect every aspect of a senior’s life, leading to embarrassing gaffes like trying to unlock a car that’s not yours, or even serious accidents if you fail to see the Yield sign in front of you.
Like Sudoku, Mah Jong solitaire is another classic game that can sharpen elderly minds. Its value is in the beautifully decorated tiles that must be matched up to clear the board. These tiles often have a number of look-alikes, but only one to three true matches. This causes you to slow down and look carefully at the details of each tile before proceeding.
You can build your stamina and observation skills by trying to clear the puzzle in less and less time. We like Mah Jong Quest II because it has more than 500 themed puzzles and is available for instant download on Amazon.com.
Mah Jong Quest II [Game Download]
4. Increase Memory
Keeping minds active and engaged can improve one’s memory, even when dementia and Alzheimer’s are not present. Many believe that playing brain games is one way to accomplish these goals, though research on this theory is still in its infancy. It won’t be for long, however, as North Carolina State University and the Georgia Institute of Technology was recently awarded a $1.2-million grant to test this hypothesis.
Designed with the elderly in mind, Nintendo’s Flash Focus game, which is made for the Nintendo DS, offers multiple games that may enhance not just the user’s memory, but her vision as well. Be sure to try out Symbol Order, which tests memory and peripheral vision. This game involves 12 boxes and three symbols that appear randomly before vanishing, leaving the player to recall which symbols were in which boxes.
Flash Focus: Vision Training in Minutes a Day
5. Lengthen Attention Span
It’s easy to get distracted in today’s fast-paced world – especially if you’re a senior who feels like the world is moving a little too fast for you. Games that are entertaining and easy to use may be engaging to seniors, but they’re even better when they require users to pay close attention in order to succeed.
Fortunately, there’s an age-old game with all three of these characteristics. It’s called Bingo, and it’s been a staple of many seniors’ lives for decades. Thanks to today’s technology, this game is now available on the computer; and like regular Bingo you have to pay close attention to ensure that all your numbers are marked!
There are numerous online versions of Bingo that you can play for free or for money if you’re the gambling type. There’s also the Slingo Game Bundle Pack, which offers alternative versions of Bingo for a low price. Slingo has the same rules as Bingo, except your board acts like a slot machine and you have 20 “spins” in which to fill in the line being played.
6. Build Problem Solving Skills
The ability to problem solve is crucial to seniors who want to maintain their independence. There are dozens of problems that can arise daily which may throw seniors – especially for those living with an impairment like a loss of hearing or sight – through a loop.
From the cable going out to the doorbell and phone ringing at the same time, a number of scenarios occur everyday that must be handled in a decisive manner. Problem solving doesn’t necessarily mean that the elderly individual needs to know how to tackle the task, such as fixing the cable, head-on, but it does mean that he needs to be able to move from an undesired situation into an ideal situation.
Games that involve math, riddles, word problems or even who-done-it plots are ideal for practicing problem-solving. There is, however, one game that stands out from the rest because it offers endless problem-solving opportunities, is thoroughly entertaining and can even make the elderly feel more connected and productive. The Sims is a lifelike simulation game that allows users to create and control avatars, which can be fictional or modeled after one’s family, who lead virtual lives.
The senior must keep each avatar on the right track as the Sims characters go through life. If real-life duties like paying bills or showing up at work fail to be met the character will face consequences such as eviction or termination.
The Sims can also keep the elderly on their toes, as they can start kitchen fires or even contract a virus from a disease-ridden animal, which may involve a trip to the vet – and a large vet bill that must be paid.
The Sims – The People Simulator from the Creator of SimCity
7. Quicken Reflex Speed
Your reflex speed determines how quickly you recognize, react and respond to stimuli. Naturally, the faster one’s reflexes are the quicker that individual will be able to respond to any scenario whether it’s side-stepping a puddle or braking to avoid a cat in the road.
Nintendo’s elder-friendly Brain Age 2, which works on the Nintendo DS, contains an ideal game for increasing one’s reflex speed. It’s called Rock Paper Scissors. This game is fairly similar to the original hand-pounding version, except the computer will present its choice and one of two commands, either “Please lose” or “Please win,” for which the player must say the correct answer into the Nintendo microphone. For example, if the computer displays a hand making a scissors motion and the “Please win” command the player must quickly say “Rock,” as rock is the only choice that can win over scissors.
Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day!
8. Boost Hand-Eye Coordination
Though many of us realize that failing eyesight will make certain activities like reading, driving or watching television more difficult, few recognize how it will affect balance, mobility and even everyday tasks like grasping the coffee pot or turning on the lights. Such activities involve hand-eye coordination, which can be damaged by weakening eyes. Something else people may not realize is the strong correlation between video games and hand-eye coordination.
Video games can improve hand-eye coordination exponentially if they’re played on a regular basis. In fact, the link between these two is so strong that a study conducted by Beth Israel and Iowa State University’s National Institute on Media and the Family revealed that surgeons who played video games for three hours a week over a four-month period made 37% fewer mistakes when performing laparoscopic surgeries.
All video games are said to strengthen hand-eye coordination to some extent. This is by virtue of the fact that what you do with your hands affects what happens on the screen. Action video games, however, have been proven most beneficial because they require quick, constant motions and often engage multiple keys, buttons or controls at once.
The Beth Israel-Iowa State study, along with a few others that also examined this correlation, chose Medal of Honor as its test game. This may be because the game takes place during World War II or because players must constantly engage their hands and eyes as they run, duck, jump, change weapons and shoot to stay alive and win this war for America.
Medal of Honor 10th Anniversary Bundle
9. Create Thoughtful Strategies
Games that make you think outside the box challenge your decision-making abilities, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Strategy-building involves planning, organization, forward-thinking and alternative solutions, all of which can help a senior gain control over his own life. These same strategies can be employed to map out one’s daily tasks, create a vacation itinerary or even complete the Christmas shopping. Plus, because strategy involves thinking ahead, it may also give seniors a sense of pride, self-worth and accomplishment, as they can anticipate upcoming events, outline what they have to do and then tackle the activity.
Another group of people that had to utilize strategy to accomplish a goal were the pioneers along the Oregon Trail. Like real life, this game has some unpredictable flips and turns. One can try to mitigate the risks to his crew and wagon, however, if he creates a strategy that involves rationing money, caring for the sick and hunting only the animals that can easily be carried back to the wagon for dinner. With a little luck and strategy you’ll find yourself on a smooth-sailing path to Oregon.
10. Connect You with Family, Friends and Communities
The goal of most brain games is to sharpen an individual’s senses, mind or skills in one way or another. But these games also have a social aspect that can’t be ignored, especially in the Internet era.
Seniors can now play virtual games of Gin Rummy or Scrabble with their grandkids online. This allows them to challenge themselves while chatting and connecting with loved ones over a shared activity. Those living in senior communities can gather together for games like Medal of Honor or Wii Bowling, turning their computers into virtual movie screens where players and observers can watch all the action. This type of engagement can brighten a senior’s day, reducing bouts of depression, isolation and loneliness.
Computerized versions of popular game shows like Wheel of Fortune, Price is Right or Family Feud, and trivia games like Trivial Pursuit or TV Land Trivia are also fun ways to entertain and challenge groups of seniors with just one computer.
Nostalgic Boomers will definitely want to try out TV Land Presents Blast From the Past: TV Trivia Game Show, in which you get to challenge your favorite classic TV stars to trivia questions about iconic shows like MASH, the Mary Tyler Moore Show and Laugh-In.
TV Land Presents Blast From the Past: TV Trivia Game Show
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