1 Factor Increases the Risk of Memory Loss
Aging in America was not what I originally intended to devote the better part of the last 5 years to studying - but that’s what happened after I began my career as a financial advisor.
There is one sphere that is economic in nature. Savings, assets, future costs, social security and so on. And, there is another sphere that may not be getting the attention it deserves. That sphere is the social, moral and ethical sphere of aging in America.
CNBC recently reported on a study regarding memory loss in older adults. “Researchers at the University of Waterloo followed four groups of adults during a six-year period to see how loneliness and social isolation affected memory loss.”
Their findings showed that being alone is not as important as feeling alone. Social isolation is a common occurrence for those in their retirement years and, when that is combined with the internal feeling of being alone, we see the highest drop in memory loss.
Study’s like this continue to reveal a troubling social situation for older adults. Most retirees report feelings of isolation, loneliness and increased anxiety. That is often joined with a more sedentary life. It is no wonder that the mind begins to wane. Complementary study’s point to this being a fast track for Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
How do we keep our mind sharp as we age?
The list from these studies is actually pretty simple.
Activity - physical activity, exercise, being out of the house, travel
Interaction - work, volunteering, groups
Brain work - reading, puzzles, new and unexpected situations
It is no wonder that many of the conclusions to retirement cognitive decline end with the same suggestion of continuing to work since that provides us all three keys to continued mental sharpness.
Here is the link to the original study.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167494324001596?via%253Dihub
Here is the link to the original article.
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/07/16/study-loneliness-increases-risk-of-memory-loss-in-older-adults.html
As always, if you come across a financially related article you’d like to send my way please do!
Best place to send them is to me.
More next time!
Jonathan