Lovely senior life

[For Seniors] Hand and finger play roundup: Finger exercises that lead to brain training

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.
Worked as a certified care worker for 17 years.Nanaka
I’ve been working as a certified care worker for 17 years. I’m Nanaka, a caregiving web writer. I decided to pursue this profession because I wanted a job that would help people. Having worked in day care for many years, I’ve experienced a wide variety of recreational activities. Exercise set to music, in particular, always created a cheerful atmosphere and was very well received. I’d be delighted to continue delivering writing that resonates with readers through caregiving-related articles. Thank you for your support.

For older adults, moving their hands and fingers is very important because it helps stimulate brain activity.

That’s why many senior care facilities incorporate hand and finger play as a way to help prevent dementia.

Among these activities, brain-training style hand and finger games may seem difficult at first, but they allow participants to talk and think together—saying things like “I did it!” or “How do you do this part?”—so they can enjoy the activity while engaging in communication.

There are exercises that involve different movements with the left and right hands, or moving the fingers while singing.

Please choose and adapt activities according to each older adult’s physical and mental condition.

[For Seniors] Collection of Hand and Finger Games: Hand and Finger Exercises That Lead to Brain Training (61–70)

Makimaki Apple Game

Let's do this for tomorrow's recreation! It gets everyone excited at the day service! The Maki-Maki Rinko Game 🍎 #dayservice #elderly #elderlyrecreation #seniors #recreation #caregiving #preventivecare #braintraining #dementiaprevention #dementia #shorts

Makimaki Apple Game

Let me introduce a recreation activity that makes great use of the hands and wrists: the Rolling Apple Game.

Attach a stick to a sheet of paper with tape, and place an apple on the paper.

Your goal is to bring the apple to your feet using only the motion of winding the stick—pulling is not allowed, so the winding action is key.

You need to use your fingertips and wrists, and if you wind too fast the apple will fall off, so you must decide whether to prioritize speed or focus on keeping the apple from falling.

Watching the apple make its way toward you is fun in itself, so spectators can’t help but cheer.

It’s enjoyable while also training the fingers and hands, making it a great recommendation for recreational activities in senior facilities.

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[For Seniors] Hand and finger play roundup: Finger exercises that lead to brain training (71–80)

Othello

Brain workout with Othello! #nursinghome #cognitiverehab #Othello #focus #attention #shorts

Othello

Move the Othello discs with your hands and keep those fingers active.

Othello has simple rules, so many older adults are probably familiar with it.

Through the game, you’ll pick up the discs with your fingers and move them around.

Just moving your fingertips alone can help stimulate the brain.

But Othello isn’t only about finger movement, is it? You also think things like, “What will happen if I place it there?” or “How can I prevent them from taking the corner?” You take on the game while thinking.

Advancing the game while considering your opponent is said to be good brain training as well.

With seated Othello, many seniors can engage in it and have fun at the same time.

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Wobbly Cap Game

Exciting Indoor Recreation for Seniors: The Wobbly Cap Game Using 2-Liter Plastic Bottles

Wobbly Cap Game

As we age, the dexterity of our fingertips declines.

In fact, it’s said that more than half of the brain’s regions are involved in moving the hands and processing sensation.

As a result, with aging, the commands from the brain to the hands and fingers can become sluggish and don’t transmit as smoothly.

Finger exercises can help your hands and fingers move more smoothly.

So let’s train our fingertips with a game that uses an empty plastic bottle.

Cut the bottle so that about the top half from the mouth remains.

Cover the cut edge with vinyl tape to finish.

Place the bottle upright with the capped mouth facing down, and put a bottle cap inside.

A game where you try to drop the cap into a wobbling, swaying bottle seems like something everyone can enjoy together with lots of laughs.

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Super Ball Relay

Super Ball Relay #dayservice #recreation #dayservicerecreation #rec #teamwork #Miyazaki #Nichinan

Super Ball Relay

Introducing the Super Ball Relay, a game that can be enjoyed by small groups to large gatherings.

All you need are paper cups and super balls.

Participants sit in a circle or around a table, each holding a paper cup.

Place a super ball in the first person’s cup, then pass the ball to the next person using the cups.

The goal is to pass it all the way to the last person.

Predicting the ball’s movement and tilting the cup accordingly, as well as figuring out how to receive the super ball, provides great stimulation for the brain.

You can also vary the fun by racing for speed or increasing the number of super balls.

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Activities of daily living with a towel

[ADL] Daily Living Activities with a Towel [Folding Laundry / Body Washing Movements]

Activities of daily living with a towel

Let’s try training activities of daily living using a towel.

Activities of daily living (ADL) refer to the minimum actions needed to maintain everyday life and serve as an index for assessing one’s ability to function.

When ADL declines, it can lead to deteriorating physical health and loss of independence.

We’ll do easy exercises using a towel.

Use your fingers to fold the towel into a small square, and perform movements that mimic washing your upper body, feet, and back to build muscle strength.

These exercises may also help stimulate brain activity.

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Balance game

Balance game #caregiving #care facility #care home #elderly #rec #recreation #day #day service #tried it #game

Balance game

Using your fingertips while also using your head for balance—here’s a balance game to try.

All you need is a helmet, a tray, and beanbags.

You can substitute the helmet with something else.

Place the tray on top of the helmet, then put the beanbags on the tray.

The key is to keep an eye on the overall balance so it doesn’t tip to one side.

Decide whether to place each beanbag slowly or quickly and where exactly to put it.

This engages the upper limbs from fingertips to shoulders, and the brain’s decision-making processes, making it a promising brain-training activity to help prevent cognitive decline.

It’s simple, yet the setup changes every time, so you can enjoy it without getting bored.

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Pita-to Ball

Pitatto Ball #HiroseHospitalDayService #DayService #Recreation

Pita-to Ball

Here’s a game using a ball that you can play on a table.

Apply strips of tape from one end of the table, placing the point values on top and keeping the sticky side facing up.

From the opposite end of the table, have older adults roll a rubber ball.

If the ball reaches near a point value, it will stop thanks to the adhesive tape.

Making the higher scores farther from the rolling side makes the game more exciting.

Grasping and rolling the rubber ball also helps train the fingers and hands.

It’s a fun way to strengthen the hands and fingers.

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