Today, let’s play some “brain games” to keep your mind in shape. First, test your knowledge of these medical terms caregivers should know. (Answers at end of column.)
1. Abduction is (a) a movement that draws a limb away (b) any motion of limbs (c) the movement of a body part toward the central axis.
2. Acute describes a sickness that is (a) incurable (b) of short duration (c) life-threatening.
3. Aphasia is (a) the inability to swallow (b) the loss of ability to communicate (c) copious drooling.
4. Adduction is (a) the opposite of subtraction (b) moving of a body part toward the central axis of the body (c) lifting both arms above the head.
5. Aspiration refers to (a) breathing in a foreign object (b) shortness of breath (c) being severely stressed.
6. A chronic illness (a) is hereditary (b) has no cure (c) is long-term.
7. Someone with dysphagia experiences difficulty (a) breathing (b) swallowing (c) talking.
8. Dyspnea refers to difficult (a) breathing (b) hearing (c) standing without assistance.
9. A mechanical soft diet (a) is difficult to swallow (b) does not include bread (c) contains foods that do not require much chewing.
10. A transient ischemia attack occurs when (a) the heart stops beating (b) a person stops breathing during sleep (c) there is a disruption of cerebral blood flow.
Here are some ideas for exercising your brain that you can do with the person you care for:
Categories: name several items that belong to the same category (coat, sweater, gloves) and ask what category they belong to (cold weather clothing). This can be played in reverse, naming a category (jewelry, means of transportation) and asking for items that belong.
Missing word: Quote a familiar saying, song or scripture, leaving out a word to be filled in.
Thesaurus: Say a word, and ask for synonyms or antonyms.
Who? Where? What? Use family photos or even pictures from a magazine. Ask who is in the picture, where they are, and what they are doing.
Similar or different: Name two items and ask how they are similar or different. For example – biscuit and muffin (similar) — edible, bread, baked; (different) — shape, ingredients, salty/sweet).
Arrange in chronological order: There are endless possibilities — grandchildren, presidents, historical events, annual holidays, Bible characters, months, seasons etc.
Favorites: Ask someone to name his favorite color, food, season, holiday, song, TV show, book, movie, place to visit, sport, etc. This is also a good way to get to know the likes of your loved one. And if you want to know the dislikes, you could always ask for the least favorite color, food, etc.
Repetition of these games increases their effectiveness. Try to get in some brain training time every day. Answers: 1-a; 2-b; 3-b; 4-b; 5-a; 6-c; 7-b; 8-a; 9-c; 10-c.
Announcement: In recognition of National Caregiver’s Month in November, “Caregiver to Caregiver” will sponsor the second annual Caregiver of the Year Contest. Any family caregiver within our reading area is eligible. A letter of nomination (250 words or less) should be submitted to either address below no later than Oct. 22. The person making the nomination must include their name and a daytime phone number. The winner will be announced in this column on Nov. 4.
Send your caregiving stories, questions, and comments to firstname.lastname@example.org or "Caregiver to Caregiver," P.O. Box 125, Alamance,N.C. 27201-0125. Letters are published with readers' consent. Ruth Z.W. Johnson has more than 12 years experience, both personally and professionally, as a caregiver. Her first novel, “Or Be Reconciled,” was recently published. She welcomes the opportunity to speak to your group.