Health system offers ‘Brain Game Challenge’
Lee Memorial Health System’s Lee Memory Care is offering a “Brain Game Challenge” through its program, Healthy Brain Initiative of Lee County, so individuals can boost their brain power, while fighting off memory disorders.
The program is offered at Edison Mall.
Sue Maxwell, system director Gerontology and Older Adult Services, Lee Memory Care, explained that a survey done by AARP revealed that a good portion of concerns from its members’ dealt with Alzheimer’s, so they wanted to take a proactive approach on fighting the disorder.
That survey led to a dynamic group of people who gathered and shared their ideas on how to promote active brain health on a national level.
She explained that the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America has approximately six sites in the United States which are participating in the pilot program of increasing healthy brains.
“We were one of the chosen sites,” she said, adding that each site is doing its own thing to promote brain health.
A total of seven agencies joined the Lee Memorial Health System to provide the Brain Game Challenge, which will be sponsored by the Healthy Brain Initiative at Edison Mall on Thursday, Nov. 18, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. by Silverspoon.
The Brain Game Challenge will test individuals in basic knowledge, mathematics, language, creative thinking and visualization because those five thought processes come from different locations of the brain. Five minutes will be provided to answer the questions for each tests. Prizes will be given to those who participate in the challenge.
Maxwell explained that when we exercise, we use all of our body’s muscles, which also applies to the brain.
“We think it is so important to exercise our mental capacities,” Maxwell said. “This is smart aging…how to keep our brain active.”
People do not pay enough attention to what is going on around them, which can lead to memory problems.
“Paying attention is a key to helping the mind,” Maxwell said.
As of last week 75 people have already registered for the Brain Game Challenge.
Maxwell said their goal is to have at least 200 participate, so they can produce good demographic information that they can send to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.
Maxwell said the challenge is not about making money, but rather about giving back to the community while promoting a healthy brain.
Admission for the challenge is either $1 to go towards the purchase of food or one canned good for the soup kitchen.
The Healthy Brain Initiative of Lee County decided to have the Brain Game Challenge, so they could “take a positive approach in opposed to a clinical approach” to healthy brains.
Healthy brain classes, which are held throughout the year, will resume again in January.
For more information about the classes or sign up for the Brain Game Challenge visit www.healthybrainfl.org.