Successful Aging
While my dad and step-mom were down helping us with the rental house we started talking about a friend of my grandmother’s, Miriam. Miriam is 86 and now lives in a nursing home. She lived with my grandmother for years - 30+ and when my grandmother died my father has sort of had to step in and look over her care. It’s really my step-mom that does most of the work.
Miriam has been showing signs of memory loss and dementia for a few years now and it is getting worse. Talking about Miriam made me realize how important it is for family members and loved ones to be regularly screened for memory loss which could be an indicator of Alzheimer’s. Screenings are also good for anyone because a baseline can be established.
November is the month to get your free memory screening. They are available all over the country. We have one near us available November 16th at a local Kmart pharmacy.
I was talking to my father - who is an avid New York Times crossword puzzle lover - he must do his crossword daily with his coffee in order to start the day out right. Crosswords, games, reading, etc are great tips for successful aging. If you don’t use it you lose it.
Miriam is a brilliant woman. She spent years as an editor at Princeton University Press. She still reads but she forgets who people are. She was never a social person to begin with (and she enjoyed her scotch in excess) so it is sad to see someone so brilliant starting to falter.
I think it is so easy to get caught up in health from a physical perspective only (e.g. body image) and forget about our mental well-being and the ‘health’ of our brain and memory. Alzheimer’s is a horrible disease so I would encourage you to donate to Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a cure for this disease!!
Tags: health, healing, alzheimer’s, memory screening, successful aging
