Healthy Habits To Prevent Dementia In The Elderly

JAKARTA - The elderly, especially those over the age of 65, often experience a decline in cognitive functions that can develop into symptoms of dementia. Although not all have an official diagnosis, cognitive decline often occurs with age.

For many people, concerns about a decrease in cognitive abilities or awareness of memory problems can be a motivation to find ways to maintain brain function.

According to an article published in PsyPost and reported by The Hindustan Times, although the elderly are one of the main risk factors for dementia, the healthy lifestyle that has been applied since young adults can help prevent or delay its impact.

Some of the healthy habits that are effective in maintaining brain function include:

In addition to this habit, many individuals start using brain training games to increase intelligence and maintain mental sharpness. This game is claimed to be able to improve the ability to think quickly, pay attention, and mental flexibility, known as an executive function.

Brain training games are designed to stimulate cognitive abilities through challenging tasks. However, research results show that the benefits of this game are often limited to specific activities that are trained and cannot always be applied in everyday life.

According to a study published in the Sage Journal, the researchers asked participants to try new activities such as digital photography. Other groups are asked to carry out activities with more passive learning, such as cooking or traveling, as well as individual activities such as filling in crosses puzzles, listening to music, or watching classic films.

The results of the study show that challenging new activities provide a greater increase in memory, processing speed, and reasoning ability compared to passive or solitary activity.

Through brain scans, researchers found participants who invested more time in new and challenging activities showed better brain efficiency. They solve the problem more quickly and remember the information.

Although brain training has benefits, new activities involving active and challenging learning have a more significant impact on maintaining cognitive functions in the elderly.

By adopting healthy living habits and engaging oneself in challenging activities, the elderly can slow down cognitive decline and support brain health.