By Trena Winans, Director of Education and Community Outreach
Those of us who work to serve older adults have long recognized the incredible positive impact that attendance at our Activity and Dining Centers has on the people who frequent them. People often use the term ‘socialization’ as a simple way to describe the benefits participants gain from interacting with others.. These sites include so much more though: physical, intellectual, and social engagement opportunities alongside nutritious meals. All of these elements are good for your mind, body, and spirit.
We all know intuitively that when people experience regular social engagement, exercise, education and hobbies, that their minds will likely remain sharper than counterparts who become more isolated. Likewise, a place that brings all those opportunities together in one location with low barriers to participation is likely to be a place where people will thrive. Now, we have more proof to back up this intuition.
Exciting research validates the benefits of senior centers on brain health. A large longitudinal study conducted in Korea over four years followed over 1500 people ages 65 and up. Their purpose was to investigate which types of social activity would reduce cognitive decline. Even after adjusting for age, gender, education, income, marital status, depressive symptoms and more, they found that those who regularly participated in senior centers and clubs at baseline had lower risk of cognitive decline at the end of the study. Additional findings included the importance of frequent contact with adult children by phone or letters, which also showed beneficial effects in reducing decline.
The researcher’s final conclusion says it all. “Our findings suggest that encouraging older adults to participate in intellectually challenging activities and active interpersonal exchanges may help preserve the cognitive function in community-dwelling elderly population.”
It is gratifying to know these services play a critical role in preserving cognitive health. Are you participating in two or more formal social activities regularly? Are you staying in close regular contact with your family? This evidence suggests your brain will thank you for it if you do!
Senior Services has five Activity & Dining Centers throughout Midland County. Schedule a tour at a location near you – call 989-633-3700 or visit https://seniorservicesmidland.org/book-a-tour/.
