The health benefits of puzzles for our elderly residents

A popular activity amongst our residents is spending time doing puzzles, from the classic wordsearch and crossword to a good old jigsaw, they are a fantastic way to give your brain a workout. National Puzzle Day, which is celebrated on the 29th January every year, will be no different and our residents will no doubt be working their way through a puzzle or two!

Created by puzzle fans, this day celebrates the beloved activity and invites all to partake in its many health benefits, such as cognitive stimulation, improved focus and relaxation - even when faced with a difficult clue!

As mentioned, you have the classics and now with so many apps available, it has meant that puzzling has become more accessible and fun to connect with others – Wordle anyone?

Many of our homes always have a jigsaw on the go for the residents to get involved in. They’re a great way to keep the brain active and have a several key health benefits, including:

1. Social activity – residents can get together as well as with friends and family when they visit to work on it, giving them a chance to interact and chat with likeminded people.

2. Relaxation – building puzzles trains the brain to shift to a relaxed state and can lessen anxiety, providing a sense of calmness.

3. Activate cognitive functions – doing puzzles is a great way for our residents to exercise their mental faculties and boost cognitive abilities, helping to increase memory power, mental speed, improve problem solving, sharpen the mind and aid memory concentration.

4. Stimulate memories – solving jigsaw puzzles can bring back fond memories, and depending on the design, can lead to further memories being shared.

5. Sense of satisfaction – completing a jigsaw puzzle provides a feeling of satisfaction, no matter what age you are. The sense of accomplishment once finished is unbeatable, especially for those with a keen attention to detail!

Puzzles are just one of the ways that our residents can keep doing what they love at our care homes.

If you'd like to enquire about the care and activities on offer at our homes then just find your nearest home and either give them a call or fill in the enquiry form. A member of the team will get back to you shortly and get things started.