Facilitating Safe and Sustainable Transitions in Care - Prescribing a Cognitive Home Exercise Program
Prescribing a cognitive home exercise program that meets the individual needs of each client can have positive effects on their brain health, overall cognitive wellness, and ability to maintain their independence. Providers who offer education on the benefits of participating in ongoing cognitive activities as they transition from one level of care to another contribute to a safe and sustainable discharge.
Provided below is a link to access a sample cognitive home exercise program, that includes a variety of activities that challenge memory, attention, and executive functioning skills. Distribute this to your clients and / or their caregivers and review together the Cognition is a Vital Sign handout. This ensures all recipients receive education on the benefits of participating in a brain health program and enables caregivers to understand the value of supporting older adults as they complete these activities.
Getting Started
If you have not already done so, you may use the BCAT® Discharge Planning Crosswalk to guide you in determining which types of cognitive activities are most appropriate, based on each client's cognitive level. You may find that all of the activities in the packet can be completed by some clients while others may complete only the specific, targeted activities that best meet their needs.
Sample Cognitive Home Exercise Packet
A Cognitive Exercise Record Form can also be used to record the exercises completed each day.
The BCAT® Working Memory Exercise Book – Professional Edition offers additional cognitive exercises professionals can use as part of a cognitive rehabilitation.
What else can you recommend for your patients?
- Learn about more ways to live a brain healthy lifestyle, by visiting the ENRICH® Calculator on the ENRICH® Brain Health Program site.
- Check out the Brain Health Workout Kit, a combination of two cognitive workbooks that offer additional memory and attention exercises.
The BCAT® WMEB – Home Edition
This workbook contains scientifically validated cognitive exercises that target attention, memory, and executive functioning skills. This evidence-based workbook can be used as part of a patient-centered cognitive workout routine. Clinicians can prescribe specific exercises to target key cognitive domains that support overall brain health and lower the risk for dementia.
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The BrainSharp™ Exercise Book
This book contains additional cognitive activities including simple and complex mazes, word scrambles, and word searches. Clinicians can assign additional exercises from this book to improve cognitive performance and everyday functioning.
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The MemPics® Book Series
MemPics® books activate old memories through pictures and conversations about familiar people, places, objects, and events. Clinicians prescribe MemPics® books to offer persons with memory loss a variety of cognitively enhancing activities that provide opportunities for meaningful engagement with family members or caregivers. There are 13 different topics available.
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Digital Working Memory Exercises
The Digital Working Memory Exercise Platform contains a variety of interactive, online cognitive exercises that can be completed on any device. This evidence-based program offers hundreds of combinations of both basic and complex cognitive exercises that can be used to promote positive cognitive functioning while buffering against decline.
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