No matter how introverted or extroverted you are, social interaction is good for your health. It reduces stress, promotes physical activity and lowers the risk of death from chronic disease. Researchers believe it also helps address memory deficits linked to Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia.
Using animal models, scientists from Taiwan's National Cheng Kung University studied the effects of socialization on memory. They found that social isolation activates the network of nerves involved in responding to stress or danger (the sympathetic nervous system). It also triggers the production of chemicals known to increase inflammation.
In contrast, social interaction increases the amount of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the nervous system. BDNF plays an important role in neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to form new connections. Increased BDNF expression may slow the progression of cognitive decline.
Before computers became widely available, you had to visit family members or meet up with friends to enjoy the benefits of social interaction. Now, it's possible to interact via video calls and chat services. You can even use social networks to share recipes, discuss your favorite books and play online games with friends.
Brain training is the use of mentally stimulating activities to improve working memory and other cognitive abilities. Think of it as taking your brain to the gym. The purpose of these activities is to strengthen the connections between the cells in your brain. In other words, brain training helps with neuroplasticity.
Computers make it easier than ever to access mentally engaging activities. For example, if you sign up for Lumosity, you gain access to dozens of games designed to help you improve the following skills:
Each game has colorful graphics, sound effects and other features to keep you engaged and interested in brain training. If you don't want to sit in front of a desktop computer for hours on end, you can even download brain-training apps on your mobile device.
Recall is the ability to retrieve memories. For example, if you're telling a friend about the best vacation you ever took, you need to retrieve information about where you stayed, what you ate and what activities you enjoyed. As you get older, you may get a little more forgetful due to age-related changes in your brain. Some level of forgetfulness is normal, but cognitive decline makes it more difficult to retrieve memories.
Computers provide valuable assistance with memory recall, making it easier to address memory-related deficits. For example, you no longer have to store addresses and telephone numbers in your brain. You can keep them in a digital address book and refer to them as needed.
Your computer also serves as a source of audiovisual memory cues, which are images and sounds that help you retrieve specific memories. For example, if you're trying to remember the details of your honeymoon in Hawaii, you may want to listen to luau music or look at pictures of palm trees swaying gently in the breeze.
Up to 50% of patients struggle to take their medications as prescribed. Even if you intend to follow your doctor's instructions to the letter, forgetfulness sometimes gets in the way. It's easy to get busy and forget to take a pill or refill your prescription before it runs out. Unfortunately, failing to take your medications as prescribed may have serious health consequences, so it's important to use whatever tools you have available to improve compliance.
The good news is that many companies now offer reminder apps to help older adults stay on top of important tasks. For example, if you have trouble remembering to take your medications in the morning, you can download one of these apps and set a daily reminder. Although many of these apps are for mobile devices, some companies offer Windows and Mac versions, making it easy to get reminders on your laptop or desktop computer.
Dementia interferes with judgment and affects your sense of time and place. Seniors with cognitive decline may also wander away from their homes, have trouble maintaining their balance or experience changes in vision and depth perception. As a result, cognitive decline makes older adults more vulnerable to certain hazards.
Computers make it easier for seniors and their family members to address some of these safety issues. For example, it's possible to set up a nightly reminder to lock the front door and set the security alarm in your home. Amazon even has a service called Alexa Together, which allows family members to monitor their older loved ones with an Echo device and the Alexa mobile app. Alexa Together includes fall detection, 24-7 urgent response and customized alerts.
