[For Seniors] Perfect Brain Training! Fun Trivia

Social worker / Care workermoko
My name is Moko, a mother of three who admired my mother and worked in the care industry as a care worker and as a medical social worker (MSW) in a hospital. I will be drawing on my previous experience to write mainly about caregiving. Thank you in advance.
Care Worker Initial Training Certification ObtainedNakajima Junko
Leveraging my experience working as a care worker at a day service, I am currently active as a writer in the caregiving and welfare fields. Beyond writing, I hope to expand my work into web design and illustration. I am a mother of three who has begun studying to become a certified social worker.

When working at a senior care facility, you may sometimes need to come up with recreation activities or topics for conversations with older adults.

Do you ever struggle with ending up with similar recreation activities all the time or having the same conversations over and over?

So this time, we’ll introduce some fun trivia for older adults that can liven things up.

As people age and accumulate abundant knowledge and experience, they tend to have fewer opportunities to encounter new things and information.

However, incorporating new information such as trivia can evoke surprise and enjoyment, which is said to stimulate the brain.

After a long time, discovering something new and fun can make them want to share it with other seniors or their family members.

Trivia also helps promote communication by encouraging conversations with others.

[For Seniors] Perfect for Brain Training! Lively Trivia (81–90)

Which vegetable is not commonly eaten abroad because it is associated with the image of a tree root?

There are many foods that are only eaten in Japan or not particularly liked elsewhere, but what vegetable could “tree roots” be referring to? In Japan, it’s a common ingredient and is often used in cooking.

The phrase “tree roots” reflects the vegetable’s appearance, so that might help you figure it out.

The answer is burdock root (gobo)! Many people overseas find its distinctive smell and astringency off-putting, but gobo is rich in dietary fiber and is very good for your health.

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SAKI

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When do we see dreams while sleeping, and in what state is the body at that time?

People can have all kinds of dreams while sleeping—whether realistic or fantastical—like dreams of meeting someone you love or being chased by a scary ghost.

What kinds of dreams might older adults have had over the years? Still, there are times when you clearly feel you’ve had a dream, and other times when you feel you didn’t dream at all.

So, when is it that we have dreams? The answer is: when our sleep is light.

That said, it seems that everyone dreams regardless of sleep depth.

It’s just that during deep sleep, the content of dreams can be less striking, so we may feel as though we didn’t dream.

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SAKI

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What are the buttons on the sleeves of school uniforms and suits for?

The buttons on the sleeves of jackets, like those on school uniforms and suits, may seem to serve little purpose—but why are they there? The answer is: to keep people from wiping their noses on their sleeves.

One theory says it began during Napoleon’s Russian campaign, when, unable to bear the sight of soldiers shivering in the cold and wiping their noses on their uniform sleeves, buttons were added.

There are also theories that they were meant to make it easier to open the cuffs and roll up the sleeves, or that they serve a purely decorative purpose.

In any case, it’s fun to ponder the history behind them.

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hiyori

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If you adjust the way you sleep, it becomes harder for blood clots to form. What position should you sleep in?

Blood clots that form in the bloodstream can block the vessels that run throughout the body, potentially leading to life-threatening conditions such as heart attacks and strokes.

Older adults tend to have poorer circulation as they age, so they need to be especially careful about blood clots.

If sleeping position can help prevent them even a little, that would be great, right? So, the answer to this quiz is sleeping on your back.

Compared to lying on your side, sleeping flat on your back helps blood circulate smoothly throughout the body, making it the better position.

It also places less strain on the internal organs.

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SAKI

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Yamagata Prefecture is famous for its high production of cherries. There is also a cherry-themed competition in Yamagata Prefecture—what kind of competition is it?

Cherries are a fruit that represents Yamagata Prefecture, and various events are held to promote them.

Among these events, let’s think about those held in a tournament format.

The hint is an action that might seem ill-mannered and is strongly associated with children.

The answer is a cherry pit-spitting contest.

Since it’s a competition conducted under proper rules, it might be interesting to learn about the tournament’s overview as well.

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kappamaki

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What is the food offering that symbolizes a rope for tying up the belongings that the returned ancestors will take back with them?

Somen noodles, which we often enjoy in the peak of summer, are connected to an Obon-related custom.

Let’s liven things up with an Obon quiz featuring somen! Please ask: “What food is offered as a symbol of a cord for tying up the luggage that returning ancestors will take back with them?” The surprising answer is somen.

During Obon, ancestors who return to this world receive many offerings.

There’s a legend that somen is used as the cord to bundle those offerings.

With this bit of Obon trivia, you’ll have something to proudly share with your family!

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miyabi

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[For Seniors] Perfect for Brain Training! Lively Trivia (91–100)

In what language is the word “pom-pom,” which is used for cheering?

What language is the origin of the word “pom-pom,” used as a cheering item at events like sports days? The answer is French; it is said to derive from “pompon,” meaning a tuft with a rounded end.

Invented as a cheering accessory in the 1930s, pom-poms were made of paper at the time and couldn’t be used in bad weather—details that convey the history they’ve accumulated.

By learning that history properly, we may grow more attached to the everyday items used at events.

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kappamaki

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