Keeping memory sharp is one of the goals seniors have when they age, as losing it can produce great anxiety. There’s also a double-bind that affects’ seniors memory: on one hand, they have much more information stored, which enables them to recognize patters more easily. But on the other hand, neurons begin to lose myelination, which is the protective sheath that helps information pass smoothly and efficiently. While there’s not much seniors can do about losing myelination, they can streamline the neurons they do have, and the following apps can help.

1. My Personal Memory Trainer (Android)

This app is like a friendly bootcamp for the mind, training you on spatial skills, memory and concentration. Some of the tasks include doing puzzles, and memorizing and recalling patterns and numbers. You can also keep tabs on your progress, giving you the chance to see how well you’re doing each time you login.

2. Fit Brains Trainer (iPhone and iPad)

This app contains over 360 games and training sessions, all of which test your memory and concentration in different ways. Although it costs money (starting from $9.99), you can try the app for free, and it’s a highly touted one with an almost five-star rating out of 68 reviews for the current version.

3. Brain Workout (Android)

When an app looks as fun as this one to use, it’s hard to remember — pun intended — it’s actually designed to boost your brain power. There are four different games you can choose from as well as different difficulty levels, and each one tests your thinking and retention powers. Plus, for the competitively-minded, there’s a scoreboard so you can see how you stack up against others.

4. Music Game (iPhone and iPad)

This free app has four colored circles, each one emitting its own tone. The app generates a sequence of tones that you have to memorize, and then hit the buttons in the correct sequence. As you progress through the game, the sequences get longer and harder to keep track of. Hint: one way to play the game efficiently is to invent a little story with the colors, such as “The yellow blueberries were green with envy and blushed once the bananas entered the room.” It’s a little off-the-wall, but helps cement the information in your mind.

5. Brainscape (iPhone and iPad)

Game time is temporarily over, as this app is designed not to quiz you with little tests, but to help streamline your memory and thinking processes. It helps you pick out the best way for yourself how you study and learn new material, as well as giving you the chance to create your own flashcards. Instead of relying on an ill-fitting method that works for others, find the one that best suits you.

6. Fruits Memory Game (Android)

You’ll be given a screen of identical squares in this app, with each one containing a different picture of fruit on the other side. Your job, should you choose to accept, is to keep track of which squares you turned over and match up the fruits as quickly as possible. And because it’s a computer game, it automatically jumbles the order so you can’t rely on the same fruits always being in the same positions.

7. Memory (Android)

For seniors who want an even greater challenge than Fruits Memory Game, this app delivers that in spades. There are far more blank squares (they occupy a 6 x 6 space), and the smiley faces on the other side are more similar to each other than the fruits are, which forces you to study them more closely to pick out the details. It’s not easy, but it’s terribly addictive.

Mortgage Mike has representatives in these 7 counties; Hillsborough, Polk, Osceola, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Luice, and Indian River.

Article by livingsenior.com

Posted in News & Insights

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