Keeping the Youthful Mind of the Elderly : Suggestions for Seniors to Avoid Dementia

One of my grandmother's greatest fears is losing her mind. She's not talking about going crazy. She's talking about becoming senile and forgetful as she ages. Her health has declined over the years, but she is as witty and wise as ever, more so every day. She probably needs to go to a nursing home for assistance with her physical needs, or at least a retirement community. She refuses. She doesn't want to become secluded in a place where there are few options and the daily routine becomes mind numbing and perfunctory. She doesn't want to lose her mind.

I've watched my grandmother over the years, and along the way I've picked up some of the secrets to her spry mind. It used to be that I didn't understand why she did some of the things she did. Now, it makes more sense.

As long as I can remember, my grandmother has worked crossword puzzles. Even when her husband was alive, and they would sit together with the T.V. on, she had a crossword puzzle in her hand. Never a day passed that she didn't work the daily puzzle in the newspaper, including the word scrambles and ciphers. I was amazed at how quickly she could fly through a crossword. She finally let me in on the secret that there are some standard clues and answers that avid crossword fans memorize over time. Even so, each day of the week the puzzle gets harder and harder, until the weekend when the paper features the New York Times puzzles. Still, she whizzes through them. If she comes across something she doesn't know, she makes a point of learning it on the spot. All those puzzles, pencil nubs, and eraser shavings are a tribute to my grandmother's mind.

Another puzzle my grandmother never misses is Wheel of Fortune. I have never seen a more avid fan. It's frustrating to try and watch it with her, because just when I'm sounding out the consonants, she is solving the puzzle. How can she do that? Time and experience she says. I've never seen her more frustrated than when my cousin found an extra remote that worked her television. He hid just outside the window. When the Wheel came on, he changed the channel. The first few times, she dug around for her remote and changed it back. He wasn't as smart as she was. It didn't take her long to figure out what was happening. She caught him before he had enough sense to stop.

Every Tuesday and Thursday my grandmother's highlight is going to the Senior Center. There she has lunch with friends and sits in on a Bible study. Then, a few of the die hards gather around the table and play dominoes. Week in and week out they pair up or play individually. She really enjoys socializing at the Senior Center. Her trips to the Senior Center are usually more frequent than the Tuesdays and Thursdays. To tell the truth, she is a member of two or three Senior Centers so she always has somewhere to go, and someone with whom to socialize. The friendship and fellowship she has developed among her peers gives her something to look forward to. The visits to the Senior Centers have great purpose. The bonds these ladies have formed are some of the strongest and truest I have ever seen. They treat each other with love, dignity, and respect. These Senior gatherings are important. The are the ones who stick together to celebrate holidays, birthdays, life, and death.

Being an expert, my grandmother taught my son and me how to play dominoes. We can never beat her. Based on the dominoes and combinations that have been played, she can tell you every domino that is still in someone's hand. She doesn't play for points, even though she racks them up. She plays to block everyone else from winning. Her mind works like a computer when she is playing dominoes. The same is true for cards. It is almost pointless to challenge her to a game of rook or rummy. She even creams us at Skip-BO.

I've learned not to ever try to cheat her. I've also learned to push myself to think quickly, or at least as quickly as my weak brain will allow. She expects you to be ready to play when it is your turn. if you don't play immediately, she reminds you it's your turn. If you still don't play, she reminds you again. By the third time, you better just put down a card or domino and keep the game going.

She's taught my son so many of her secrets that I can't beat him either. She even bought him a domino set. He must be the only 12 year-old with an open invitation to the Senior Center. She enjoys teaching us and playing with us. Sometimes we get noisy and like to rib each other, including her. She stays focused on the game, but every now and then, she can't help but crack a smile. That's when you know she's listening and nothing is going over grandma's head. It's become a family joke now that we call her a cheater, because she always wins. I'll never admit it to her, but I know she does it fair and square.

Her conversational skills have never waned with age. She keeps up with the local and international news. She can talk to you about just about anything. if she weren't so demure, she probably would talk about anything. She can remember information and tell stories that will keep you enthralled for hours. If you listen to her talk about her father very long, you'll understand why she wants to keep from losing her mind. She always has a tale about his antics and the way he carried on when she was a child. Sometimes, she decides to share some of her own antics as she was growing up. She's also pretty good at telling on my mother. I guess I'll wait until I have grandkids of my own to tell her secrets, though.

My grandmother is also an avid reader. If she doesn't have a real story to tell, she can pull something from a book and make it sound real. She has an uncanny ability to remember witticisms, pity comments, important quotes. She can tell you every wives tale and aphorism ever heard in the south. She can quote most of Poor Richard's Almanac without even realizing it.

Her body is slowly failing, but her mind is hanging on. I've heard that keeping your mind busy, working it with crossword puzzles and books, maintaining contact with friends and being sociable helps prevent Alzheimer's. I don't know whether that will ever be proven, but I'll try to follow in my grandmother's footsteps to keep my wits about me. In her case these activities have helped preserve her wit, and under the duress of time and trials, she still has her sanity.

I'll remember how to keep my mind sharp. I hope you will, too. Begin now, to work puzzles that interest you. Have interesting conversations by keeping yourself informed of current and local events. I also think this is one time in life when a little good gossip is okay. Play your favorite games, and learn new ones. Above all share the legacy of yourself and your family with your loved ones. If no one wants to listen, write it down. Everyone's life will become much richer, and it may even help you keep your mind together in the long run.