I can remember things from 40 years ago, but I could not tell you what I had for dinner last night.
When I turned 67, I noticed that I had trouble remembering the names of things and celebrities. The noun or name would come to me after a delay of a minute or two. I have been told that this a normal part of aging.
Difficulty with a person’s thinking memory and concentration is called cognitive decline.
Common signs of cognitive decline are:
- Forgetting things more often
- Forgetting important appointments or social engagements
- Losing your train of thought or a thread of conversations, books or movies
- Feeling increasingly overwhelmed by making decisions, planning steps to accomplish a task or understanding instructions
- Experiencing difficulty in finding your way around familiar environments
- Becoming more impulsive or showing increasingly poor judgment
Your family and friends may notice these changes.
CAUSES OF COGNITIVE DECLINE IN SENIORS:
- Vitamin deficiencies, such as low levels of V12 and other B vitamins
- Medications
- Kidney or liver dysfunction
- Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, consider the following steps to help prevent cognitive decline.
HOW TO PREVENT COGNITIVE DECLINE IN SENIORS:
- Daily exercise
- Avoid drinking alcohol
- Don’t smoke
- Eat a healthy diet
- Stay socially connected
- Avoid stress
- Engage in mentally stimulating activities such as reading and crossword puzzles
- Keep learning
If none of these activities bring any improvement, please consult a medical professional for assessments to determine if there is something else happening which may be causing the decline.