Tips To Achieve And Manage Cognitive Health With Aging

 All of us will agree on one thing that getting older brings many changes, both physically and mentally. With age you might be healthy, but your brain and body start slowing down. Keeping your cognitive health in good shape- the ability to clearly think, learn, and remember—is important for your overall well-being. Cognitive health is a vital part of brain health that is influenced by many a thing starting from your genes, lifestyle, to the environment. All these impacts your thinking skills and the ability to carry out daily chores/perform day-to-day tasks.

It is common to experience some decline in cognitive function with age, which include impairments to short term working memory, processing speed, attention, and problem-solving. This means losing things, forgetting things, etc. from time to time. One might as well experience that it takes longer to learn new things. However, these symptoms don’t necessarily mean you are at the cusp of developing Alzheimer’s or dementia. Gradual cognitive decline as you grow old is a normal part of aging. However, more rapid and progressive decline in cognitive health is usually a sign of dementia, which isn’t a part of the normal aging process. If you are facing issues with memory and thinking, and if it is interfering with you day-to-day life, it’s time to get yourself evaluated for dementia. Remember earlier the diagnosis, better.

Here are some steps to protect cognitive health in older adults and stay independent as long as possible:

Be physically active- Physical exercise can improve brain health by enabling it to create new network connections along with maintaining older ones- a major part of cognitive health. Aim for 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week. However, do consult with your physician on the best exercise regimen for you.

Brain exercises- Keeping your mind active may benefit the brain and is proven to establish cognitive reserve in the brain, which is said to make up for certain brain changes associated with aging or other conditions. Make it a point to keep your brain active by engaging in meaningful activities such as reading, learning a new language or a musical instrument, playing games, and volunteering or working.

Stay connected- Social isolation can be damaging for both physical and emotional health. Older adults should make it a point to stay connected with other people through social activities and community programs, which will keep your brain active and engaged, which, in turn, will reduce the chance for health complications such as depression. The pandemic shouldn’t be an excuse for not staying connected, use technology, for example, Zoom, Skype, and FaceTime to socialize, also not to forget the power of social media that you must leverage.

Contact the leaders in providing Anthem assisted living in Phoenix- the award-winning Anthem Senior Living- at 602.909.9550 to learn more about how we can help the older adults in your life that are dealing with Alzheimer’s or another dementia. We are focused on high-quality, personalized care.