6 Effective Ways for Elderly to Improve Memory

Memory keeps all visuals in the brain. It allows us to know ourselves as well as others. Scientifically, it’s a very mysterious part of the body, with mysteries that even the finest technology cannot unfold. It has astounding abilities to modify and change accordingly and retain memories.
According to Senior Guidance, genetics play a vital role in a senior citizen’s memory, especially when it comes to diseases like Alzheimer's or Dementia. But there are proven scientific research papers, which support the fact that even lifestyle, diet, or sleep cycle can affect memories in many ways. Out of many reasons leading to memory loss, the aforementioned 3 reasons are the most frequently blamed culprits that affect memory.

Following are some effective, scientific ways for older adults to improve their memory:

• 1. Meditation to Improve Working Memory
  Working Memory is when a brain stores some information on a temporary basis or short-term basis to carry out immediate cognitive tasks. Working memory is associated with attention and executive functioning skills. Cognitive tasks include learning, reading and language comprehension and others. Meditation is a proven way for senior citizens to improve working memory. It works counter intuitively, as during meditation the brain stops processing information as actively as it normally would. Meditation also helps to improve concentration. As per a study, there has been significant progress in working memory right after 2 consistent weeks of meditation.
• 2. Practice Mindfulness
  Mindfulness is a part of Meditation. Practicing mindfulness means, concentrating or focusing attention on body, breath, thoughts, feelings or bodily sensations or anything arising in the very moment. The roots of mindfulness have arisen from Buddhist Practices. As per studies and research, mindfulness also means paying minute attention towards one's own thoughts and emotions in an unbiased way and also its acceptance. Practicing mindfulness even for a few minutes each and every day can change the structure of a brain. It helps in reducing stress as well as aids in improving the memory more vividly.
• 3. Exercise to Improve Memory Recall
  Recalling memories refers to the mental process of recalling a memory from past incidents. It is a three-tier process of memory which does encoding and also acts as storage. Regularly bring workout aids to improve the cognitive abilities of a human brain. Though there are numerous advantages of exercise, the improvised, vivid and sharp memory is one of them. Exercising doesn't mean to go to the gym at 5 a.m every day. A simple 20-minute daily walk can do wonders in sharpening one’s memory in older age.
• 4. Train Your Brain
  A strong memory is dependent upon the health and vivacity of your brain. It doesn't matter if you are a student, preparing for your exam or a working professional striving to move ahead.
  There are methods to improve your memory which are well accepted in the world. Make sure to get your daily dose of brain workout by learning something new every day, listen to music which allows you to de-stress yourself, get enough sleep as per your age group, become part of a healthy active lifestyle with brain-boosting diet and most importantly, work out and meditate, which help to gain focus and concentration. These simple steps which most older adults can easily do anytime they find convenient can do wonders for a better memory.
• 5. Drink Coffee to Improve Memory Consolidation
  Research has shown that people who ingested caffeine in a proportionate quantity had a better memory and performed well during memory recall tests than the ones who didn't consume any caffeine. Coffee has significant effects on an older adult’s memory. Memory consolidation is processes that stabilize and follows a memory trace after its initial acquisition or learning. Drinking coffee can help you to convert short-term memories into long-term, hence improving memory consolidation.
• 6. Get Enough Sleep
  Sleeping is more like rebooting your brain than just a way of resting. Sleeping has proven to be the most effective way of improving memory as the most process of memory consolidation occurs during sleep. The human brain needs approximately 6-7 hours of mandatory sleep. But the sleep cycle of every brain varies from one another. There are four sleeping patterns known as Monophasic sleep, Biphasic sleep, Everyman Cycle, Uberman and Dymaxion Cycle. Though every cycle has its pros and cons and it differs from person-to-person, getting that sleep under any given particular cycle is a must. Even a short nap can help in improving the memory whereas sleep deprivation has vice-verse affects.

  Not training your memory can have devastating effects as one gets older. Specifically, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, nearly 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease - a form of dementia that commonly affects older adults and forces older adults and their loved ones to seek the help of Alzheimer’s care facilities. Train your memory daily to make sure your brain stays sharp and youthful