Memory Improvement and Games

A guy was invited to some old friends' home for dinner.
His buddy preceded every request to his wife by endearing terms, calling her Honey, My Love, Darling, Sweetheart, Pumpkin, etc.

He was impressed since the couple had been married almost 70 years, and while the wife was off in the kitchen he said to his buddy:

"I think it's wonderful that after all the years you've been married, you still call your wife those pet names."

His buddy hung his head. "To tell you the truth," he said, "I forgot her name about ten years ago."

Eventhough it sounds funny for us , the current situation seems pretty serious for today and future .According to researches ;

There are over 230.000 people suffering from memory related problems in Finland, and, 110.000 of them have a diagnosis of, for example, dementia. In the western countries the amount of elderly people is growing and, therefore, the number of diagnosed cases of dementia is growing as well. That means there's a higher need for institutional health care. For instance, the number of people who have Alzheimer (disease that causes about 60 % of cases of dementia) will triple in 30 - 40 years.

Better memory can be achieved by neuropsychological rehabilitation, but today it is an option only for people with difficult disabilities. Many people suffering from mild amnesia are not part of a rehab, even though it is very important thing to keep their ability to work. (Sirkku Määttä, Työeläkelehti 2/2008,Finland)



There are over 110.000 people suffering from persistent symptoms of brain damage. The majority of brain damages are due to different accidents. Approximately 50.000 people in Finland have a diagnosis of brain bloodstream impairment. The most common reason for brain bloodstream is a stroke. (Duodecim, Käypähoito-ohjeistus, Erja Poutiainen, 22.6.2006, Finland)

Today people pay more attention to physical wellness and proper diet but often forget to take care of their mental health. The brain functions properly only when used constantly. Memory gets better while practiced and dementia can be prevented with regular exercises. Exercising your brain enhances your memory and prevents memory disorders and dementia. Hobbies and activities that you like enhance the bloodstream in your brain, which also boosts up your metabolism. New experiences and studying are great for keeping your mind fresh.
People tend to do activities they are good at, even though it would be good to practice things that feel more difficult. The cornerstone of memory maintenance is a wide variety of stimulation. You can maintain your memory by doing crossword puzzles, sudokus, mental arithmetics etc. You can save your memory by trying to only insert the most important things in there. Aides like calendars and mobile phones are good for outsourcing knowledge and information. (Sirkku Määttä, Työeläkelehti 2/2008)