Aging and Life Enhancement
By Kathryn Kilpatrick, M.A.
Optimizing your brain health is one of the essential keys to successful aging. Creating better lifestyle habits early on, before the signs of possible issues “beyond normal aging” begin to become a concern, is supported by the extensive research conducted in this last decade. One of the aspects Dan Buettner of the Blue Zones emphasizes is the importance of having a sense of purpose.
The man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder. ~Thomas Carlyle
Through our earlier adulthood, work, family, hobbies, etc. likely activated our sense of purpose in many ways, often changing through the decades.
One of the pillars of brain health encourages having a sense of purpose, a reason to get up in the morning, something that possibly delights you, or perhaps challenges you physically or mentally.
In this digital age, we may feel connected but, as we experienced during COVID, there was a feeling of isolation after typical venues for socialization had to be modified with the restrictions in place. As we learned, this was particularly a challenge with the visitation restrictions put in place and how it seriously impacted the lives of many older adults.
Research supports the need for strong social ties to help lower the risk of cognitive decline. Maintaining positive social engagement can help reduce stress, in many cases elevate moods and thus likely to have an overall positive impact on your brain health.
In my decades as a speech pathologist in home health care, I saw many different scenarios. But one of my primary goals was to engage friends and family in the carryover program. Initially, my caseload was primarily stroke patients but in the latter years, my dementia cases were increasing. Even working with family members out of town who wanted to become part of the support system was not uncommon.
If my clients had hired caregivers, whenever possible, suggestions were given on how to modify communications so that interactions were more successful in combination with fun activities to do together at my client’s current level of functioning. Providing activities they might enjoy that they can look forward to doing, sometimes with assistance, had so many benefits instead of just “watching television” when they are homebound with imited options.
By meeting them where they were in their communication skills and their cognitive functioning, it was important to also focus on exploring options that might be of interest to give them something to look forward to doing, even with assistance, based on their new limitations. Understanding what a person enjoyed was helpful in creating interactions at their level of functioning with specific modifications to share with their support system.
Perhaps the older adult belonged to a club or volunteered, attended church or some other programs of interest. Participation may be a concern if there are physical challenges or hearing, vision, speech, memory or even transportation become an issue. Modifications are often necessary if activities that provided them with a sense of purpose in the past are going to still be an option.
One of the younger family members of a close friend brought her aunt to a group she had attended at her church for decades. She went on a day when they were stuffing envelopes with invitations to a special event. She was looking forward to getting out, being with friends and doing something meaningful. In another situation, an aide was hired to take a gentlemen to a men’s group that met for lunch once a month and also to a weekly stroke support group.
One of my friends liked to listen to interviews of authors at a local library with her sister. They usually listened to the book together ahead of time. The sister was aware that my friend needed the volume to be louder and she also changed the rate at which it was being read. Her memory was not as good as it used to be so her sister also wrote in a notebook the names of the characters and a mini summary of each chapter. This became a very special experience for them to share and gave both of them a purpose and something to look forward to doing together.
Something to remember: It is important to listen more than to talk, and make eye contact. Answering your phone, checking texts, etc. is not something the older generation is used to and can ruin their experience when you are together. Making your phone a priority (unless it is a special occurrence) will not usually be appreciated.
I knew someone who used to attend a senior center on a regular basis but had stopped since the busyness became a bit overwhelming. By reconnecting with someone she knew previously, she was able to attend with assistance and gradually increased her participation to a level she could handle.
Whether you are building new social networks or maintaining them, there are many benefits to looking forward to an “event.” It keeps your mind active, even if there are limitations. Decreasing a person’s loneliness can have a positive impact on their depression and anxiety. It improves life satisfaction at some level, even later in life.
Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another and feeling with the heart of another. ~Alfred Adler
Dan Buettner, the founder of Blue Zones, believes that purpose is a key to a long and happy life. He says that purpose is the intersection of your values, passions, what you like to do, and what you’re good at. People with a strong sense of purpose are more likely to take their medicines, be physically active, have their mind engaged, eat the right food, connect socially and live longer. What is your purpose?
