I was reading about a new test medical professionals have developed that may help identify people who need further diagnostic testing for Alzheimer's and other types of dementia. The test called TYM (test your memory) includes things like "name 5 animals that start with the letter s" and how well a person can copy a sentence.
I have also heard that people who do puzzles, handcrafts, and other activities that exercise the brain have slower rates of mental aging. My grandmother played bridge nearly every day, as well as scrabble, rummy, and lots of other games. She lived with all/most of her faculties intact into her 90s. I have a theory that when you retire it's important to take up hobbies and activities that make you exercise your brain.
If you are staying home recuperating from a Crohn's flare, or out on disability -- the same goes. Whether it be Sudoku, Brain Age on the DS, Bridge, MahJong, Bunco, Crossword Puzzles, Jigsaw puzzles, woodworking, knitting.... whatever it is keep those fingers and brain cells working. If you can find a community of like minded people to get together with that's even better because it will keep the social parts of your brain going too. I go to knit night at a local yarn store and that is my thing. I also love to play the game Scrabble Cubes on the computer at worldwinner.com. I enjoy Sudoku - but I am SLLOW at figuring them out. My hubby can do the huge 5 puzzle super sudokus but I like to stick to the "nice and easy" ones.