Tips for Keeping Your Mind Sharp

Everyone experiences the occasional “senior moment.” Perhaps you’ve forgotten someone’s name in the middle of a conversation, or maybe you’ve gone grocery shopping but couldn’t remember your list. Memory lapses and cognitive decline are common in aging folks, and they can have varied causes. From not sleeping enough to having a poor social life, there are several aspects of senior living that contribute to these lapses.

Luckily, there are countless strategies older people can use to fight off cognitive decline as they age. While some lapses are due to disease and disorders, like brain injuries and neurological illnesses, others are the result of lifestyle. You can help care for your physical health with a medical alert system, but you can keep your mind sharp with a few simple tasks.

• Continue Your Education – According to researchers at Harvard, a higher level of education is associated with better mental functioning as a person ages. This typically involves getting a good education earlier in life, but seniors can apply this practice as they age. Taking a class at a local community college, or trying an online program, like The Great Courses Plus or MasterClass, are easy and relatively inexpensive ways to continue your education and keep your mind sharp.
  

• Stimulate Your Brain – If you have a mentally stimulating job, or if you engage in other mentally stimulating activities, you can build cognitive reserve. This can help prevent or slow mental decline later in life. The best way for seniors to employ this strategy is to continuously acquire new skills, especially those that relate to new technologies. Learning a skill, such as how to use a tablet computer or how to use a medical alert system, can also improve brain processing speed.
  

• Keep Your Social Life – Older adults who have a high level of social engagement typically have a lower risk of dementia than those who do not have a consistent social life. If you feel isolated, join a local walking group or puzzle club. If part of your new skills education involves learning how to use social media, find neighborhood and interest groups that meet regularly. Making friends can be difficult later in life, but certain tools can the process much easier.
  

While you might spend a lot of time keeping your mind sharp, don’t forget about your physical health. Importantly, you’ll want to understand potential physical limitations. Even if you’re feeling healthy and fit, something as simple as a fall can change your outlook. Whether you’re worried about accidents or just want additional support, a medical alert system can help.

The medical alert systems from Alert1 are effective and easy to use. While you can help prevent cognitive decline through continuing education, socialization, and certain hobbies, you can never fully prevent an accident. Our medical alert systems are designed with senior lifestyles in mind, offering a range of at-home and wearable options. Plus, our fees are well below Life Alert costs, which means you won’t have trouble fitting a medical alert system into your budget.