Did you know that more than 10% of Americans over the age of 65 are likely to develop Alzheimer’s? With no known cure and so many people having dementia, people have had to come up with ways of living with dementia. Well, one way of doing this is coming up with activities for dementia residents such as bowling. What are the benefits of bowling in a memory care community? How does it help people with dementia?
Bowling Slows Down Dementia
One of the top benefits of bowling is that studies have shown that bowling slows down dementia for those that are suffering from it. Besides puzzles, it is arguably one of the best activities for someone with dementia to do. The question is, why is this the case? Well, bowling helps in a few key areas. First, it helps dementia residents keep up with their motor skills. The goal of this game is to roll a ball down a lane and knock over as many pins as possible. This does take some physical exertion, so it can be a way to keep people with dementia active. The second thing that bowling does is allow engagement. People need to know what score they have, so they are doing math in their head or after they look at the scoreboard. Also, they could be talking to other players while they are playing, therefore increasing their social activity.
Restlessness
A common problem among seniors with dementia is that they may not always sleep well if they do not get enough exercise. This can lead to them being kept up at night and starting to wander around. So, how does bowling help with this? Well, bowling is a form of exercise that most seniors are capable of doing. As a result, these seniors can get a good workout in, and being tired from exercise could increase the chances of seniors sleeping through the night.
Depression
Getting older is hard enough on its own, but it gets even harder when you can’t remember a lot of things. Seniors can grow depressed, especially when they have dementia. So, how does bowling counter depression? The answer is that the physical exercise that you can get from bowling can create endorphins that can actually help improve memory. As a result, people with improved memory and regular exercise are more likely to be in a more positive mood, thus not giving into depression quite as easily.
Learn More About Activities for Dementia Residents
These reasons above are why bowling is one of the best activities for dementia residents. It can help reduce restlessness, it can help counter depression, and can even slow down dementia. If you do this right, you can help the seniors that you love to retain their memory longer and keep them healthy. That is why bowling is a weekly activity on the memory activities calendar at Royal Palm Beach.
Do you want to know more about dementia care in Royal Palm Beach? Message us here to find out more about memory care in Royal Palm Beach or to schedule a tour of our facility.
