Senior caregivers can work with their senior clients to exercise their brains to prevent the onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. The app 4Pics 1Word shows users four images and asks them to find the word that links all of the pictures together, then enter the word using the letters in a bank provided at the bottom of the screen.
Using the brain in ways that force cognitive connects plays a large part in preventing dementia as seniors age. Seniors often don’t partake in these activities as part of their daily routine unless they make a point to include them. The 4Pics 1Word app forces a connection between the images seen on screen and the language a senior client knows. The app starts out at an easy, low level, and the image-word relations increase in difficulty the longer you play.
For example, a lower level includes a picture of a mailbox, a pair of boxing gloves, a cardboard box and a checkbox, so the common word the user needs to enter into the space provided is “box.” Caregivers can play this game with their senior clients and help them come up with the answers, or switch turns going back and forth. Or, they can make it into a fun little competition and see who can correctly guess the answer first. Play a few times a week to ensure that senior clients are adequately exercising their minds for the most dementia prevention potential. Caregivers might also enjoy the game as a form of stress relief to take their minds off the events of a particularly long day.
The 4Pics 1Word app is available for Apple and Android platforms.
Senior caregivers, let us know your feedback on this app and keep us posted if you discover additional apps that assist with caregiving duties and help relieve caregiver stress.
