Dementia is a form of brain damage that can result from Alzheimer's disease, stroke or simple aging. People suffering from dementia often have serious problems with memory and language processing. According to Dr. Mehmet Oz, you can rewire neuronal connections when old ones have worn out by exercising your brain, which can help decrease cognitive decline in dementia patients.
Physical Exercise
Dementia patients that move their bodies for at least 30 minutes, five times per week build bone and muscle tissue and keep themselves more limber. Even a patient in a wheelchair can often perform upper body exercises such as an arm bike. Patients that can walk should be encouraged to do so outside, where their minds are stimulated by their surroundings. According to Alzheimer's Family Services, basic calisthenics such as toe touches, squats and leg lifts can prove highly beneficial. Fine motor exercises such as folding paper, working a puzzle, drawing or picking up small objects can help a person with Alzheimer's retain the ability to dress and feed himself and perform personal hygiene tasks.
Mental Exercise
Brain games like crossword and Sudoku puzzles and memory card games help keep recall intact and reduce the risk of further memory loss. According to the Franklin Institute, the brain can regrow neurons even in old age, and brain games help rebuild the connections between them. Those whose dementia has progressed further can be challenged to vary their day-to-day routines. Examples include walking backwards through a room and picking up objects with the nondominant hand or with the feet. The imagination can be exercised by drawing pictures, making up stories or talking about what you might do if you were on vacation.
Present Orientation Through Memory
Encouraging a dementia patient to talk about her past serves two purposes -- it reinforces both short- and long-term memory and keeps her oriented in the present. Encourage her to talk about things that happened in both the recent and distant past. Because dementia patients may have trouble recalling the names of or details about loved ones, showing her videos or pictures and asking her to elaborate on the day they were taken can help her keep them in her mind. Surrounding her with images of those she loves can also help combat the loneliness that may accompany the disorientation of dementia.
