Staying Sharp

KDLA TrainingOctober 24, 2013

Patrice H. Blanchard, Gerontologist & AARP Volunteer

What we’ll discuss

The Brain and Aging• Normal brain function and age-related

changes

Staying Sharp - What You Can Do • Four factors for brain health

Senior Moments?

1.I’ve had a “Senior Moment”

2.I’ve told someone, “You’re having a Senior Moment”

3.Both 1 & 2 are true

4.I’ve NEVER had a Senior Moment

When to worry?

The Alzheimer’s Association has created this list of 10 Early Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s:

•  Memory changes that disrupt daily life.• Challenges in planning or solving problems.• Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure.• Confusion with time or place.• Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships.• New problems with words in speaking or writing.• Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps.• Decreased or poor judgment.• Withdrawal from work or social activities.• Changes in mood and personality.

Why Stay Sharp?

1.Life expectancy is increasing

2.Retirement is being redefined

3.The cost of healthcare is skyrocketing

Which is True?

1.At birth you have all the brain cells you will ever have; you can lose them, but not grow new ones

2.Brain cells change and grow in response to our experiences

Learning and Memory

…on average, as people get older it takes them longer to learn something new. And if you give an older person the

same amount of time to learn something new as you give a younger person, on average, an older person will not learn

as much of it.

But … if they learn something well, they actually remember it as well as people many decades younger than themselves.

So it's a very important thing to learn, that you might have to put a little bit more effort in at the front end.

Marilyn Albert, Ph.D.Johns Hopkins University

What percent of 70-year-olds perform as well on cognitive tests as 20-year-olds?

1.Less than 5%2.20%3.50%

Strategies to improve memory

• Pay attention• Stay focused• Repeat it• Write it down• Visualize it• Stay organized

Brain healthy behaviors are built around four key factors:

• Increased Mental Activity

• Increased Physical Activity

• Increased Social Engagement

• Vascular Health and Stress

What You Can Do

What You Can Do

Increased Mental Activity

Give Yourself a Good Mental Workout

• Challenge

• Enjoyment

• Novelty

What You Can Do

Increased Physical Activity

• Start moving!

• Aim for 15 minutes/day and increase incrementally

• Find an activity you enjoy

• Find ways to “sneak in” additional activity

What You Can Do

• Get involved!

• Regular contact

• Volunteering

• Animal companionship

Increased Social Engagement

What You Can Do

• Do not smoke

• Control weight and diet (nutrition)

• Monitor blood pressure and cholesterol

• Reduce stress (relaxation/spirituality)

• Exercise

• Wise use of medications

Manage Vascular Risk & Stress

What You Can Do

Think of activities that will keep YOU engaged and sharp!

What You Can Do

• My favorite: SHOPPING

Think of activities that will keep YOU engaged and sharp!

QUESTIONS?