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Scott Shepherd
07-03-2013, 6:10 PM
Anyone have any good sources for helping people that have had strokes with their memory. We have a family member that had a TIA and their short term memory is not good at all. That was 2 years ago. They play a lot of simple memory games on the computer, but have never been to any therapy. Is there such therapy out there and readily available? I'm sure someone here has dealt with this before. It's a terrible thing to deal with when one's short term memory is damaged.

They used lumosity dot com for a while, but I think the gift subscription I gave them ran out and they didn't know how to renew it. When I ask if they are using it, they tell me "yes", but I know they didn't sign up for it themselves, so I think they are just confused about what they are and aren't using. I've read that your brain can be retrained and it will rewire itself to some degree, so I'm hoping that there is someone with some real life experience on something that worked well for them, or someone they know.

Thanks!

Jim Koepke
07-03-2013, 6:40 PM
I've read that your brain can be retrained and it will rewire itself to some degree, so I'm hoping that there is someone with some real life experience on something that worked well for them, or someone they know.

My experience if from a head injury and a similar one a friend suffered. For me it was a constant battle on my part to get my brain back. My friend felt it would cure itself. In my opinion, it didn't. In my case, I had to relearn a lot of things and it was very frustrating at times.

In other words, the person who is encountering the reduced function has to want to exercise their mind.

Search on line for > memory exercise < and you will find a lot of information.

jtk

Mel Fulks
07-03-2013, 7:02 PM
I sympathize and commend you for wanting to do some good your self,and not considering it something beyond your reach. I would try to provide variety .Even a number of computer games may have too much similitude for someone temporarily impaired. I would try card games with real cards,short visits from old friends,music, poems....variety .

Scott Shepherd
07-03-2013, 7:23 PM
They play a lot of memory games on an iPad. Their long term memory is excellent. It's the short term that seems to really vary. It wasn't great, then it was getting better, now it seems like it's worse. From what they tell me, their normal doctor said it was normal and things would come and go as the brain created new routes for information to be stored (my words for it). Ask about something from a year ago, or 50 years ago and they can remember it well. Have a conversation with them and they'll ask the same question 3 minutes apart because they don't remember asking it or your answer.

They want to get it strengthened and are happy to try various methods, especially online. I know they do the card flipping memory thing, where you match things, all the time, but that doesn't seem to be doing much. My guess is they can just touch things forever until they hit the right combination and they aren't really getting much "training" from that.

Mac McQuinn
07-03-2013, 8:16 PM
My wife swears by "Sodoku", She's really feels it helps with memory retention.
Good luck,
Mac

paul cottingham
07-03-2013, 8:24 PM
I have a head injury due to an organic brain defect, and my short term memory got clobbered to the point where I can't work anymore. Counting games really helped, believe it or not, like counting backwards from 100 by 7's. that exercise was given to me by a head injury counsellor. Woodworking has also helped, working with numbers and my hands has been of great benefit. Believ it or not, anger management also helps, as frustration (and depression) can significantly impact short term memory.
i am not an expert, but these things helped me.

Curt Fuller
07-03-2013, 9:35 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOL72ROW1ek