The workshop, held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Berkeley Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, helps people identify normal changes in memory and strategies to maintain cognitive health as they age.
“Everything you see is a magic bullet: diet, exercise, socialization, maintaining cognitive function,” says Judy Harvey, memory workshop coordinator, “and being kind to yourself and your body.”
The center offers UNL-Tabitha Memory Workshops in spring, summer and fall sessions. Each session lasts eight weeks and covers topics that benefit cognitive health, such as building routines and habits, diet and exercise. The Berkeley Clinic partners with Tabitha Health Care to deliver some of the lessons.
Harvey said the workshops would be aimed at anyone interested in learning about the subject, or family and friends of people with a disability, but would initially be targeted at people with mild cognitive impairment – meaning more severe than average memory problems but not as severe as dementia.
The workshop begins with identifying what typical age-related changes in memory look like and what the more serious signs are: You might need more processing time or need to hear something more frequently to remember something new, Harvey says.
“People think it’s normal to be forgetful, but that’s just not true,” she says.
Common examples of age-related memory problems include having trouble remembering words or forgetting where you put your keys or the remote. In contrast, it’s not common to make mistakes that you never would have made before, like getting lost in your neighborhood or doing something that puts you or others at risk. Stress and anxiety can also increase minor mistakes and forgetfulness.
“You feel like something is warning you, and that can cause stress, which itself can cause signs of cognitive decline,” Harvey says. “And then all of a sudden you’re distracted by your internal thoughts.”
The workshops teach participants how to learn new information, improve their attention, and organize their habits to make them work. Procedural memory — memory built through repeated habits and routines — is less likely to decay, so Harvey says participants should be taught to use that to their advantage.
“We live in a noisy, noisy, distracting environment, so as we get older it can be harder to single-task and focus on one thing rather than everything that’s going on around us,” she says, “but that doesn’t mean we’re born forgetful.”
The workshops will also include a physiotherapist to talk about exercise habits and a nutritionist to discuss how nutrition can contribute to cognitive health. A range of topics will give participants options and help them understand what areas of their lives will be most helpful, whether that be a new exercise habit, better sleep or activities to keep them cognitively active.
“If you don’t like crossword puzzles, there’s no reason to start doing crossword puzzles,” Harvey says, “but if you like baseball, watch baseball, join a fantasy league, talk to people about baseball, and make it a more cognitively stimulating activity.”
Kathy Bruhn signed up for the workshops with her 91-year-old mother to gain insight into strategies that could help. Bruhn said that thanks to advice from one session, she is considering incorporating more healthful foods, such as fruits, vegetables and leafy greens, into her diet.
“I thought I was doing it for my mom, but as I continued I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a lot,” she said.
As well as picking up some tips, Brune also enjoyed talking to other participants about their experiences. She said it was useful to engage with them about their concerns and the strategies they use.
“It’s nice to have people who are going through the same things as me and have a different perspective on what they’re doing and what they’ve been through,” she said.
Harvey said that over the course of the workshops, participants begin to open up and form connections with the group. Some who initially say they’re just curious may eventually admit to concerns.
“What we often see is a look of relief: ‘Oh, so you do that?'” Harvey says. “We say, why are these mistakes happening? What are the causes? Let’s have a conversation about that.”
Feedback Harvey has heard from participants indicates increased confidence in their memory and improved strategy use. Having an active social life is beneficial for cognitive health, so spending time with others is the first step to connecting and learning from others, Harvey says. The workshop will also highlight some community resources for this.
“It’s about execution,” Harvey said. “Every week we say, ‘Go home and practice this strategy,’ so you can execute things well and get better.”
Harvey hopes that while people may joke about their “senior moments,” they understand that doesn’t mean they should stop working on their cognitive health.
“Sometimes there’s something you can do,” Harvey said. “Even if you have a diagnosis, there are things you can do to give yourself the best quality of life possible.”
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