ACR 2013 Spring Newsletter - Municipality of the County of Antigonish

COMMUNITY INFORMATION
BE ACTIVE! INCREASE YOUR BRAIN POWER
Let’s find ways to keep our minds and bodies active. Make your brain work. Stimulate it.
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Try to work physical activity into your daily routine. Three 10 minute sessions throughout the day will work.
Avoid doing too many things at once. Listen carefully and ask questions. Use more than one sense to
remember. (For example, to remember a telephone number, read the number aloud and make mental picture
of it).
Do word search puzzles, play games like Scrabble and read books. Read short articles from newspaper and
magazines and then test yourself by writing down from memory the details in the article. Check back to see
how much you remembered.
Test your memory. Make a list of 5 to 8 items. Memorize the list and then cover it up. Write down the items
you can remember.
Always place items you use regularly in the same location (for example, always put your keys in the same
spot by the door)
Use one calendar to keep track of all your appointments rather than marking them on different calendars.
In most communities, there are lots of places that can use volunteers. Keep your mind and body active by
making a difference in your community. Here’s a small sample:
• Help children learn to read at a local school
• Volunteer as a classroom helper
• Walk dogs at the local humane society or animal shelter
• Read to children in the local library
• Deliver meals to other seniors
• Teach a class on your favorite hobby
• Become a “big brother/sister” to a child in need
• Volunteer at your local hospital
• Volunteer through your place of worship
• Play the piano or sing songs or looks for other ways to help at a local nursing home
• Volunteer as a crossing guard at a local school
• Help at the local blood donor clinic
Brought to you by the Antigonish Ageing Well Together Coalition and