Fortunately, the rise of game-based brain training via mobile devices makes cognitive workouts affordable and open to anyone with a suitable device and an internet connection. Let's explore the best mobile games and brain-training programs to keep your mind sharp from the comfort of your assisted living apartment.
Designed to help improve and maintain your problem-solving and memory skills, the Lumosity brain training program helps seniors enjoy enhanced cognition. The program has some impressive scientific proof to back its claims. A 2015 study discovered that people who use Lumosity demonstrate improved cognitive abilities, including better short-term and working memory and processing speed. Participants also reported a noticeable improvement in their day-to-day thinking skills.
Lumosity serves up scientifically researched activities with a big dose of fun. The app provides a diverse range of games that change daily, with tasks ranging from word games to numerical challenges and exciting speed-based tasks. The platform even tracks your progress to deliver a personalized training program to suit your abilities and goals.
The AARP is well-known for advocating for the needs of older adults, so it's hardly surprising the organization has embraced the power of online brain training. The AARP online games library features plenty of entertaining games to help boost your language, spatial reasoning and processing skills. Here, you'll find plenty of nostalgic favorites, including mah-jong, Solitaire and vintage arcade games designed to support quick reactions.
Most of the AARP games are free, making online brain training accessible to everyone. The site also hosts several word games in Spanish. AARP members can enjoy a broader range of member-only games, such as daily crosswords and themed Sudoku puzzles.
Looking for a brain training app that works on a large-format smartphone or tablet? Meet Elevate, a game-based platform crammed with over 40 games to help sharpen speaking skills, concentration and focus. The app lets you work at your own pace by choosing between three and four daily games and tailors its suggestions to your needs. You can also use the dashboard to track your progress for extra motivation.
Like Lumosity, Elevate boasts scientific backing for its enjoyable game-based activities. A study examining the effect of using Elevate regularly found that frequent users improved their cognitive skills 69% more over 4 weeks than people who didn't use the brain training program.
Developed in partnership with the Free University of Berlin, NeuroNation is a no-cost app designed to prevent cognitive decline and improve thinking skills in later life. It delivers a comprehensive program that adapts to your unique needs to boost your thinking speed, memory and attention span.
The NeuroNation team claims playing its games regularly can improve quality of life by guarding against depression and honing the skills you need to enjoy a vibrant lifestyle as an older adult. To ensure its program stays at the cutting edge of scientific research, it partners with academic institutions to study the potential of brain training for healthy aging. It even won the German Federal Ministry of Health and AOK's Leonardo Prize in 2013 for its role in improving cognition and mental wellness.
Although most brain training apps focus on mental agility, a growing number recognize the importance of mental wellness for a fulfilling lifestyle. As the name suggests, Happify can help you learn the skills you need to stay happy and overcome challenges. The app tracks your mental wellness and provides short, enjoyable games and activities to help you develop positive thought patterns from your smartphone or tablet.
The Happify team includes experts in positive psychology who use proven scientific principles to design the program's activities. While the concept of improving your mental health via your smartphone might sound outlandish, research shows that using Happify regularly can help you develop effective strategies for managing some of life's challenges, such as loneliness.
CogniFit is one of the best-known brain training apps and offers a specialized program designed to meet the needs of people aged 65 and older. Designed by scientists, the platform constantly assesses your progress to tailor its games and activities to your needs, gradually increasing the challenge level as you progress. It can even help detect memory loss and help you maintain your abilities if you're already experiencing mild cognitive decline.
One of the advantages of CogniFit is its clean, user-friendly design. You can access the program using most mobile devices, and its interface is ideal for people with limited experience using technology.
Embracing brain training is an effective way to enhance your mental and physical well-being as an older adult. At Bethesda Gardens Thornton, you can enjoy a diverse program of events and activities created to maximize your health and spiritual and social wellness. Schedule a visit today to explore our assisted living community and learn more about our nurturing faith-based philosophy.
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