New research from Concordia University has identified three factors that may determine how likely you are to stay mentally sharp as you get older. The study, which used data collected over four years from 333 recent retirees, suggests that the more you want to use your brain—and the more you enjoy doing it—the greater your mental acuity will be as you age. The three factors are:
1. The more one seeks out and enjoys cognitively demanding activities, the less likely one is to experience cognitive decline later in life. 2. Doing a variety of different cognitive activities helps boost brainpower post-retirement. 3. People who exhibit even mild signs of depression are more likely to show a decline in brainpower once they leave the office for good.
Most of us have a favorite movie or two we like to watch with our families during the holiday season. Understandably, we often associate a film or TV show with the good (or bad) times in our lives.
For people with Alzheimer’s, those links between certain movies and memories are not necessarily lost. In fact, movies can help bring back some of their best memories and even spark conversation. Whether they like black and white films, westerns, musicals, or another genre, seniors with Alzheimer’s can benefit from watching movies and TV shows as a regular activity.
According to Alzheimers.net, here are the top movie suggestions for seniors with Alzheimer’s:
• It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
• Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
• The Sound of Music (1965)
• West Side Story (1961)
• The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Founder Louise Locker (a.k.a., Elf Louise) started the Elf Louise Christmas Project in 1969 when she was a student at Trinity University. She found that for many San Antonio families, Christmas just did not exist and began to look for a way to provide a few Christmas presents to some of these children.
That first year, with the help of a friend, she collected gifts for children in 13 families. Today, the 65 year old works with hundreds of volunteers to bring Christmas joy to over 19,000 San Antonio-area children who otherwise might have been forgotten at Christmas.
