Dementia is a terrible disease, but these 25 easiest trivia questions for seniors with dementia will perhaps provide a bright spark in the day for anyone afflicted with the illness. Click to skip ahead and jump to 10 easiest trivia questions for seniors with dementia.
So what is dementia? Well, it’s an illness which actually encompasses symptoms of cognitive decline. One of the primary symptoms regarding cognitive decline, and one of its most apparent and visible ones, is forgetfulness. That is why it is such a heartbreaking disease. To have your loved one suffering from it and slowly forgetting short term memories and in the end, forgetting even you and who you are, well I can’t think of anything more painful than that.
While you may think that dementia only occurs in old people, and our article focuses on seniors as well, that is not always the case. In fact, you may be surprised to learn that dementia is not even a normal part of the aging process. Most seniors will not suffer from dementia, and like my grandfather, will remember details and memories vividly even until their last days. That said, there are still over 47 million sufferers of dementia globally, and probably many more who are undiagnosed. Of course, forgetfulness is not the only symptom of the disease with others including issue in completing easy and familiar tasks, disorientation, communication problems, mood swings and personality changes among a few others.
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Now, dementia, especially advanced dementia does not have a cure. If you get it, you can take drugs to slow the growth but there is no cure yet. Donepezil by Pfizer (NYSE:PFE), Rivastigmine by Novartis (NYSE:NVS), and Galantamine by Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) are among the FDA approved drugs treat Alzheimer’s, a type of dementia. Alector (NASDAQ:ALEC) and Denali Therapeutics (NASDAQ:DNLI) are two of the new generation biotech companies trying to tackle neurodegenerative diseases. Hedge funds are optimistic about both stock, but they are especially bullish on Alector. At the end of the second quarter there were a total of 29 hedge funds with bullish positions in ALEC. That figure was 21 for DNLI. We should note that none of these 5 stocks are among hedge funds’ top 10 stock picks at the moment.
One solution to slow down the progress of dementia suggested by experts is brain exercises. Researchers across the world agree that brain games can help slow the growth and are actually really good exercise for dementia patients. However, you can’t just take any trivia and use that for seniors with dementia. It needs to be catered to in a way to help them retain and recover their memory, and also avoid them feeling bad for not knowing some of the answers, which may actually even lead to depression.
We have scoured the web for some of the best trivia for seniors. If you’ve also got kids in your home in addition to adults, then you might want to take a look at the 25 easiest trivia questions for kids. We used FiftiesWeb and SeniorsLoveToKnow, in addition to some supplementary sites to come up with our 25 questions. Most of the questions pertain to events taking place decades ago as dementia payments have better long term memory as opposed to short term memory. So let’s take a look at the questions which will boost any senior with dementia, starting with number 25:
25. What year did Disneyland open?
Answer: 1955
It might be good to have a threshold of +/- few years but this was a major event that many seniors will remember.
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24. Which disease did Dr. Jonas Salk successfully create a vaccine for in 1952?
Answer: Polio
Another major event that many seniors will still remember, it should be a good place to start the trivia.
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23. What famous explorer first climbed Mount Everest in 1953?
Answer: Sir Edmund Hillary
Even I remember the answer to this question, so seniors, especially those in the US, will be liable to remember as well.
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22. In 1964, Jack Ruby was convicted of murdering which other accused assassin?
Answer: Lee Harvey Oswald
The conclusion to one of the most tragic events in the US, this question may be seared in the minds of most people.
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21. Which Olympic athlete set a record in 1972 by winning seven gold medals?
Answer: Mark Spitz
Mark Spitz was in the 70s what Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps are today, and so most would remember the answer.
Pixabay/Public Domain
20. What famous band arrived from England to the U.S. in February 1964?
Answer: Beatles
Beatlemania reached its peak in the 60s and this move will not be forgotten by many who were there to witness it.
Pixabay/Public Domain
19. Who replaced the Shah of Iran in 1979?
Answer: Ayatollah Khomeini
A slightly difficult one, but the toppling of the Shah of Iran was a major global news.
Pixabay/Public Domain
18. What is the name of the deadly disease that struck a convention in Philadelphia in July 1976 and was named for the convention where it struck?
Answer: Legionnaire’s Disease
Talking about some other disease might make things lighter or darker, depending on the mood.
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17. What war ended in April 1975 with the fall of Saigon?
Answer: Vietnam
Caution, don’t bring this up if the senior you’re playing the game with is a veteran of the war as it could raise terrible memories.
Pixabay/Public Domain
16. Which iconic blonde actress, and rumored lover of President John F. Kennedy, was found dead in her bedroom August 5, 1962?
Answer: Marilyn Monroe
Again, this is an answer perhaps everyone in the entire world will know.
Pixabay/Public Domain
15. Which rising young star from the movie Rebel Without a Cause died in an automobile accident in 1955?
Answer: James Dean
James Dean was a global icon even though he had barely appeared in any movies though his legacy was cemented after his death.
Pixabay/Public Domain
14. Which president resigned in 1974 over the Watergate scandal?
Answer: Richard Nixon
Perhaps one of the most infamous events in American history with global ramifications.
Pixabay/Public Domain
13. What newspaper heiress took part in a San Francisco bank robbery in April 1974?
Answer: Patty Hearst
A slightly difficult one just to keep things interesting.
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12. Paul Allen and Bill Gates founded what company in 1975?
Answer: Microsoft
To cover up the earlier difficult question, here’s a softball.
Pixabay/Public Domain
11. Who played the role of Norman Bates in the 1960 horror movie, Psycho?
Answer: Anthony Perkins
Psycho is legendary even today and so is Anthony Perkins.
Pixabay/Public Domain
Click to continue reading and see the 10 easiest trivia questions for seniors with dementia.
Disclosure: 25 easiest trivia questions for dementia patients is originally published at Insider Monkey.
