Even though there is no cure for Alzheimer’s or dementia, there are several products or items that people can use to slow down or prevent the effects and symptoms of those diseases. Some of the most popular products that can help people with dementia or Alzheimer’s are puzzle packs. So, what exactly are puzzle packs? And what are their benefits? Let us find out as we take a look at the intricacies of power packs and how they can help people with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
What are Puzzle Packs?
Puzzle packs are toys that are designed to stimulate the mind of kids, adults, and seniors. These puzzle packs contain not only the common puzzles where you connect pieces to form a full image but also mazes, quizzes, and other types of puzzles and games that can be enjoyed even while you are sitting. There are even some puzzles in the packs that can be connected or pieced together to form another game, which can be a maze, a quiz, or a board game.
Bigger puzzle packs are usually the best-sellers in toy stores and online shops, but some of these big packs can be quite expensive and can be messy to play with because of how many parts there are inside each pack. For seniors, it would be best to give them smaller puzzle packs so that they won’t be overwhelmed by the number of puzzles they can play. You can give them puzzles one by one so that they can just focus on one puzzle and not think about any other puzzles in the pack.
What are the Benefits of Puzzle Packs?
Although puzzle packs are primarily made for children and teenagers, they are also suitable for seniors that want to have fun during their free time while also being able to stimulate their brains, which is essential for slowing down the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and dementia. To know more, here are the benefits of puzzle packs for seniors with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Helps Keep the Mind Active
The main benefit of puzzles is that they can help keep the mind active to avoid the stagnation and deterioration of the nervous system. Keeping the brain stimulated, as we have mentioned before, is essential in preventing Alzheimer’s and dementia from worsening, and to do this, seniors would need to accomplish tasks or do activities that require them to think. One of the best products that provide brain-stimulating activities is the puzzle pack, which contains relatively easy games that allow seniors to memorize and recognize shapes, colors, and patterns.
Improves Memory
Because puzzles involve memorizing particular shapes and patterns on each puzzle piece, they are helpful in improving the memory of the elderly. Memory is often impaired for a lot of seniors, and this is often caused by the deterioration of several areas in the nervous system, particularly in the brain.
But, the deterioration of the nerves and the brain can be slowed down by keeping the mind active, which can be done by using the brain regularly to solve puzzles and do other types of activities that help stimulate the brain. Through puzzle packs, the elderly will be able to improve their memory effectively since memorizing images and patterns are easier than memorizing words, phrases, and sentences.
Enhances Motor Skills
Motor skills are also affected when seniors have Alzheimer’s or dementia, as the section of the brain responsible for movement is also deteriorating over time. So, in order to retain the motor skills of the elderly, they would need to use their hands frequently by doing tasks or performing specific movements. Solving puzzles in a puzzle pack is a great way for them to use their hands without straining any muscles or bones in their arms, as moving puzzle pieces is very easy to do since these pieces are thin and lightweight.
Playing with puzzle pieces would also enable seniors to give their hands a little bit of exercise to retain hand dexterity and strength. There are also other toys and products that improve hand strength, and these include fidget toys, activity quilts, activity aprons, and busy boards.
Retains Hand-Eye Coordination
In addition to motor skills and memory, hand-eye coordination is another natural skill that can progressively become worse as we become older. Hand-eye coordination involves our eyes, hands, and brain, with the eyes sending signals to the brain about an object that they see, and then the brain transmits the signals to the nerves of the hands, which would then touch, grab, or hold the object.
While kids, teenagers, and adults have eyes, hands, and brains that only take microseconds to finish the said process, the nervous system of seniors would usually have a much slower time accomplishing the same activity. However, through puzzle packs and other toys that require the use of the hands and eyes to play, seniors will be able to retain their hand-eye coordination.
Can Act as a Stress Reliever
Solving and playing with puzzles can be calming or relaxing for many seniors, so puzzle packs can also act as toys that can help reduce stress and anxiety. Seniors that are affected by stress, anxiety, and depression could often have worse effects of Alzheimer’s and dementia, as negative thoughts can be taxing and tiring for the brain and for other parts of the nervous system. So, it is very important for seniors to always be calm and relaxed so that the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and dementia wouldn’t worsen.
Puzzle packs are definitely an option to consider for seniors with dementia and Alzheimer’s. Buy small puzzle packs and give them to your elderly loved ones so that they will have something fun to do during their free time.