Aging and Life Enhancement
By Kathryn Kilpatrick, M.A.
WHAT DOES MULTITASKING HAVE TO DO WITH IT?
He who would live long must sometimes change his way of living. ~Italian saying
Forget something recently? Perhaps a word, something needed at the grocery store, your cell phone or keys? If it happens too frequently, does it worry you? If a family member has some memory changes and/or a possible diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, sometimes those concerns may be heightened.
Research supports the importance of your lifestyle choices for brain health, which will first require an awareness of your patterns. How well you are sleeping, how much water you are drinking, what kinds of foods you are eating and how often you are exercising really does matter. With those recommendations you will need an attitude of commitment to alter your choices. Be proactive. Perhaps consulting your physician will be a good place to start to not only get some answers but if needed, possibly a referral for a more in-depth cognitive assessment.
Learning is a treasure which accompanies its owner everywhere. ~Chinese proverb
WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW TO HELP YOUR MEMORY?
While you may think it is easier to try to do several things at once, this video on Age-Activated Attention Deficit Disorder will enlighten you. Do you see yourself doing this occasionally? Change starts with awareness.
Pay attention and stop “multitasking’’ which is really task switching. It is not quicker– it really does take longer and mistakes are more likely. Sometimes your safety and that of others can also be impacted.
- Focusing for 5-10 seconds will make a difference and it is a very helpful habit to create. For example, if you usually check a text or answer your phone while doing something else, you are possibly going to lose track of what you were initially doing.
EX: Decades ago, before cell phones, I was baking several coffee cakes at once. Answered the phone and when I got back, I could not recall where I was in the process. Had I already added the baking soda or was it the salt or the baking powder? Had no clue but I never did that again. DISTRACTIONS are not your friend when it comes to remembering. - Stress contributes to forgetfulness, as your mind is preoccupied with “other” thoughts. Maybe your focus jumps from one thing to another or you have triggered “negative chatter in your head” unrelated to the conversation you are engaged in or a task you are doing.
With an awareness of your tendencies comes the opportunity to decide how to better manage certain situations so that you can stay focused. Maybe you decide a break or more notations are needed to help you stay on track.
Overwhelmed with your task switching? First you need to recognize what you doing. Maybe you need to pause or use one of your stress busters. Perhaps it is meditation, listening to music, walking outside or doing some mindless activity for a bit. Remember, change starts with awareness and becomes a habit with practice.
HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH A PERSON WHO HAS MEMORY CHALLENGES
Communication modification matters when there are memory challenges. Perhaps you are a family member or a caregiver of a person whose challenges are not obvious or have not been considered, for example, when giving multiple instructions, perhaps too quickly.
Some of the challenges the person you are speaking to might include subtle hearing or concentration deficits, or problems due to medication mix-ups, poor hydration, or insufficient sleep. In the early stages of memory challenges or for those with mild cognitive impairment, some days may be better than others and as complexity or stress increases, difficulties appear.
Overloading a person with details, not breaking it down or simplifying the information at their level of current functioning may make it frustrating. Add to that the challenges with interruptions, or distractions like the television or a phone call nearby. Maybe it is not a noncompliance situation but information overload.
Are some of the challenging behaviors triggered by not meeting the person with information at their level of functioning? Subtle changes can occur and when something that worked before does not, modifications and a lot of patience may be needed or a further assessment to maximize safety and quality of life.
As a speech-language pathologist in home health care an important goal of mine was to help caregivers/family members/ friends understand the ways to communicate verbally or in writing at the level that the person was functioning.
On more than a few occasions, problems in communication centered around an assumption that the person’s ability to comprehend and recall was better than families, caregivers and health care professionals thought it was.
An option might be to write down specifics but check that the print (avoid cursive)
is legible and large enough. Complexity can be confusing, so breaking it down
into steps that are numbered might be helpful. Too much information given
quickly without review or verification can complicate not only comprehension but
recall and compliance.
When functioning changes and your strategies are no longer effective, perhaps
try another level of modification or maybe it is time to look at safer options or a
more in-depth assessment.
There is no greater joy, nor greater reward than to make a fundamental difference in someone’s life. ~Mary Rose McGeady
