Games or Puzzle Suggestions for Adults with Memory and Focus Issues

[kwelch10377]

My mom was diagnosed with brain cancer in Feb. After a period getting better she has taken a turn for the worse after a new tumor was found. This new tumor is in the area of the brain that affects memory. I was wondering if any one had some suggestions on games or puzzles that are easy for her to focus on (she has focusing issues too) and that would help memory as well as just give her something to do. She really doesn't use her iPad much anymore so it would need to be something physical vs an app. I was thinking some very, very basic board type puzzles and maybe a Rubix Cube but was hoping someone had some other suggestions. Ideally I am looking for something that she can do by herself.

TIA!

 

[RangerPooh]

While my father doesn't have memory loss issues, he enjoys puzzles. Anything from 500-1500 pieces, something scenic like old time landscape + community images. This time of the year Costco has puzzles, but they are 1000 piece I believe.

Walmart and Target also have puzzles. It sounds like she might prefer something with fewer pieces (250-500) to help retain her focus. Puzzles with fewer pieces might be too childish. Hopefully you'll find a few that she'll enjoy

 

[NHdisneylover]

My first thought was maybe Rush Hour?

The pieces are big enough to see and move easily and set up is simple and fast and you have a picture on the card to guide you---so if her mind wanders she can just pick up where she left off once she refocuses. Similarly, while the goal is to get the car out of hte traffic jam by sliding the other cars around, and there are faster/best ways to do so, you can always keep working/sliding until you get it, even if you do not make the best moves to start with---so she can keep coming back to it and pick up anytime if needed.

https://www.amazon.com/Think-Fun-5000-Rush-Logic/dp/B00000DMER

 

[mjkacmom]

My dad has Alzheimer’s, he spends his days doing crossword puzzles and word finds. He was diagnosed over 10 years ago, started these puzzles 2 years ago, and his condition has barely declined.

 

[LAB81018]

My mother has vascular dementia after a stroke. In her case, since it isn't organic in nature but injury based, she can make new memories with repetition. She does get frustrated though. Her memories of anything that happened after 1979 (the year her mother died) are fuzzy but not gone. For example, she remembers people she worked with, but she thinks they all worked with her at one place when she had 3 different employers during that period.

She does usually win when they have trivia games at the nursing home. I joke with her about the stuff her brain has allowed her to retain.

She loves jigsaw puzzles but tends to lose pieces so I have had to put a stop to those. She does jumble books (usually doesn't answer the final joke though) and word searches (large print since the stroke affected her vision). She is now on coloring books. Since I know my mother's attitude and style, I buy her snarky/swear word coloring books. They keep her entertained (the nursing home staff has even taken to buying her some as well) and she is actually able to concentrate on them for extended periods (the stroke greatly affected her concentration and short term memory).

 

[lorimay]

My dad has short term memory loss and my mom gets him the word search puzzle books.

 

[GoofyBaseballMom26]

Same here. My Mom has dementia and she can still work word find puzzles (on good days) and loves to color. She likes puzzles too but can only do the 20-25 piece ones, like Disney, etc. She used to knit but can't now but likes to fool with the yarn, it's always in a huge wad but she can try to untangle it then roll into a ball.

I always TRY to get her to read out loud to me each day as well. It's usually just the lunch and supper menu in the nursing home but at least she has to try. We look at old pictures too and try to name people, places but that doesn't work too good anymore, she's forgotten too much. But it might work well with your Mom.

 

[clutter]

My neighbor liked Farkle the best on his good days. It's similar to Yahtzee.

 

[AppleDumpling]

Crossword puzzles and sudoku are good if she enjoys them. Any kind of solitaire card games.

For an actual board game, maybe Perfection, where you fit the shapes into holes. If it’s too nerve-wracking, she can play it without the timer that pops the pieces.

Another idea is the game where you jump pieces until you’re left with one. It used to be called Hi-Q, though I haven’t seen it in years, but there are simple versions of it with pegs or golf tees on a wooden board.

 

[kwelch10377]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions, they are much appreciated!

 

[design_mom]

This year I noticed that several of the photo card companies are offering a "memory game" with your photos printed on the cards -- the kind where 2 cards have the same picture, and you flip over 2 cards at a time and try to find the matches. I wonder if something like that would be good? You could use photos of people and/or places she knows.

https://www.shutterfly.com/photo-gifts/kids-games/memory-games

 

[AppleDumpling]

Just want to add that there are other activities that help with brain function. Things like knitting, crocheting, or playing a musical instrument. It could be challenging for a senior to learn these skills for the first time, but if she has ever done them in her life, even if it’s been a long time, she might enjoy and find benefits picking them up again as a hobby.

 

[PigletsPal2]

Not sure if it's still on the market, but a memory game called "Husker Du" (umlaut over the"u") was fun when my DGD was little. It's a lot like "Concentration," but the board is two circles, the bottom one of which rotates so that the pictures are under different windows each round. IIRC, there are no separate pieces to lose. The player selects a window and then selects a second window, looking for the match of the picture behind the first window. Ideally, you have two players and the player making the most matches wins, but your mom could play against the clock, attempting to better her time to clear the board each round.

Good luck!

Queen Colleen