The Games People Play -- Especially Older People
By Jean Donahue
I was a child, we visited my grandparents who lived in a small farming
community. There was a courthouse in the center of town and a bandstand
where local musicians performed. I enjoyed visiting there because I loved
my grandparents, but also because of the happy feeling I got when we saw
their friends. Their friends always made me feel welcome and important.
remember walking into a store and seeing "old" men playing
checkers. They were retired farmers and businessmen. Those men didnít
get mad when someone else won. They all laughed and kidded each other.
Occasionally, they would even let me decide which move they should make.
It was so much fun.
a child, I thought that retirement must be wonderful. After all, you had
all day to play -- like I did in the summer. I loved my summers. When
I was taking care of Mom and Dad full-time, I found that sometimes
retirement can be what I imagined it to be as a child. After all, some
people travel to retirement areas and play games. There is shuffelboard,
swimming, golf, various card games, and other types of games for their
entertainment. When they return home, they get together with their friends
to play games. Games were a way of life.
also found that getting "old" wasn't what I thought as a child.
People suffer from various diseases, and life isn't always fun. Some
people aren't mentally challenged, or aren't able to be mentally
challenged. Life for them must be very dull and boring. Mom had
Alzheimer's disease, and even she enjoyed using her mind at the level it
was. When I was taking care of her she couldn't even read the newspaper,
but she enjoyed children's activities and children's television
there is a lot of research into whether various games will help a person
keep their mind functioning as well as it has all their life. Some studies
indicate playing games might help stave off dementia, but so far they
haven't answered the most important question: Does a person's mind stay
sharp because they play games, or do they play games because their
mind is already sharp? It is the age-old question, "Which came first?
The chicken or the egg?"
can also get more technical. There is short-term memory and long-term
memory. What affects the short-term memory and what affects the long-term
memory? Does the age that you develop your mind affect how it functions in
old age? What about your environment? Nutrition? Stress? Heredity?
the answer, a person will be happier if they are busy doing something they
enjoy. They will be happier if they are using their mind, even if it has
deteriorated to that of a child like Mom's did.
just what is available for our loved ones?
was amazed at the list of things for the elderly I could find on the
internet. You can use the internet and television to play games, or you
can buy them to play the old fashioned way -- with your hands and
your mind. Some of the games I found are:
with large pieces and large pictures
was just about any game you can think of!
term "use it or lose it" is quoted by a lot of elderly people to
refer to their mind and body. I have had a couple jobs where I was bored
beyond belief. After a while, I found I was more tired, sleepy and less
motivated as a result of my boredom. Regardless of whether stimulating
someone's mind will help prevent the progression of mind-robbing diseases
like dementia or Alzheimer's, it will have other beneficial affects. Your
loved one will be happier and more motivated. They will have something to
look forward to. They won't be bored.
sure you aren't getting something that is too difficult for your loved
one, or too simple. When Mom's Alzheimer's disease had progressed to the
point that she was like a little child, she would not have enjoyed a
crossword puzzle. She couldn't even read. When she first contracted the
disease, however, she could have worked a crossword puzzle and thoroughly
enjoy it. Still, I don't remember Mom ever working a crossword puzzle.
That wasn't something she ever enjoyed.
you can't find exactly what you and your loved one want to play,
remember that you can put together your own game. You can make your own
books to reminisce and remember. You can use your own creativity, even if
you don't think you have any. Try it; you'll see.