Los Angeles Jewish Home

Learning makes a man fit company for himself.
Thomas Fuller
17th century English clergyman and historian

Once we reach a certain age, we may believe we've lost our ability to learn. After all, sometimes we can't even remember where we've left our keys. Yet research shows we can continue to learn throughout our lives. Our brains have a quality called neuroplasticity — the ability to physically change as a result of our experiences. Neuroplasticity allows us to literally make new connections in our brains. This phenomenon is one of the reasons mental activity may help prevent dementia.

"Even for the elderly, the human brain continues to grow new neurons, and mental exercise improvies brain functioning," ways Devorah Small-Teyer, MSW, director of social services at the Los Angeles Jewish Home's Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center. "Non-routine activities arouse the brain and keep it processing new information."

If you doubt the ability to learn later in life, you might be inspired by Willadene Zedan. In May, she received her college degree from Marian University in Wisconsin — at the age of 85.

It's true that we learn differently as we age. For one thing, we don't learn as quickly and we're more easily distracted. However, older adults have certain cognitive advantages, such as better reasoning and judgement, than their younger counterparts.

In The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain, New York Times science editor Barbara Strauch notes that, "my middle age, the brain has developed powerful systems that can cut through the intricacies of complex problems to find...concrete answers." In addition, she says we've gained "a broader perspective on the world, a capacity to see patterns, connect the dots, even be more creative."

Certain kinds of learning seem to benefit the brain more than others. Interviewed in The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain, Elizabeth Zelinski of the University of California says we need to constantly challenge our brains with novelty. "Crossword puzzles are not enough. You are mostly trying to find words you already know," she says. Instead, she suggests, try "something hard for you — not so hard that you lose focus — but hard."

At the Los Angeles Jewish Home, providing residents with new learning experiences is a priority. One of the ways this is being accomplished is through the use of iPads. Residents who have never experienced this type of technology are learning to use iPads for a variety of activities. Some "travel" around the globe thanks to Google Earth and other websites. Other enjoy books with the help of larger fonts available on these devices. Residents are learning about email and blogs. They are Skyping with family members and friends.

"Social workers have also been showing our residents apps to help improve their mood, to help stimulate cognition, and decrease social isolation," says Small-Teyer. "The iPads are enhancing residents' communication with the outside world and helping them feel connected."

Using iPads is just one way seniors can pursue stimulating new experiences. Many other opportunities exist. Learn a challenging game, such as chess. Take up a new hobby, such as woodworking or knitting. Learn a new language or how to play an instrument. Take a class at the local community college or senior center. Volunteer at an animal rescue shelter, food pantry, or library. Taking classes and volunteering have a double benefit because they involve interacting with other people. Socializing is another way to promote mental sharpness.

Learning can and should be a lifelong endeavor. Not only is it an enjoyable pursuit, but it benefits our brains as well.

Labels: Brain, Cognitive Exercise, Cognitive Fitness, Cognitive Health, For the Mind, iPad, Learning, Neuroplasticity

We know there are concrete steps we can take to improve our physical health and prevent or decrease the chances of developing certain illnesses. This is true for our mental health as well.

To keep our minds fit, we need to follow the same key strategies for keeping our bodies healthy: get regular physical exercise and eat a healthy diet. In addition, we need to engage in activities designed to ‘exercise’ and ‘nourish’ our brains.

Get Physical

“Of all the lifestyle habits that may protect your brain health, the scientific evidence is most compelling for the effects of regular physical conditioning,” says Gary Small, M.D., Director of the UCLA Longevity Center in his book The Alzheimer’s Prevention Program. “Recent research shows that people who engage in moderate physical activity have a 40 percent lower risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease.”

Small cites a Harvard study of more than 18,000 women which found that walking briskly for a total of 90 minutes a week – about 15 minutes per day – was enough to delay cognitive decline and reduce possible risk for future Alzheimer’s disease.

Physical activity causes the heart to pump more blood, which reaches all the body’s muscles and organs — including the brain. Increased blood flow in the brain appears to reverse cellular deterioration associated with aging.

Aerobic activity isn’t the only type of physical activity to positively affect the brain. Strength training also seems to promote brain function by increasing the heart’s efficiency in supplying blood to the brain and boosting specific brain functions involving complex reasoning and attention skills. Balance training also shows benefits to memory and other cognitive abilities.

Choose Food Wisely

“What we eat affects our mental function and may be critical to maintaining brain health,” says Dr. Small.

A healthy diet benefits both the body and the brain by helping to keep inflammation in check. Although inflammation is usually a health-promoting process, chronic inflammation fuels many age-related illnesses, including cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Health-promoting foods such as fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains, and legumes fight inflammation, as do many herbs and spices.

Lawrence C. Katz, Ph.D., a professor of neurobiology at Duke University, says “brain exercise” can help develop new connections in the brain. “The mental decline most people experience is not due to the steady death of nerve cells,” he says in an American Psychological Association publication article. Rather, the cause is atrophy of connections between nerve cells in the brain. Routine behaviors can contribute to this atrophy, while novel experiences can help strengthen neural connections.

Train Your Brain

Just as the body needs exercise, so does the brain. Learning stimulates the growth of new brain cells. By challenging the brain, we can increase the number of brain cells and grow the number of connections between those cells. The key is to keep the stimulation varied. So while it’s good to exercise your brain by doing crossword puzzles, for example, you should combine that with different types of mental challenges such as Sudoku or other brain teasers. Taking classes and learning new skills are also ways to “exercise” the brain.

“Practicing basic memory methods sharpens memory capacity, slows age-related decline and helps maintain peak memory function,” says Small. His research at UCLA has found that using simple memory techniques can activate and strengthen specific neural circuits in the area of the brain involved with memory processing.

“As we learn memory enhancement skills, neural activity increases as the brain recruits neighboring circuits to solve tasks,” says Small. “With practice, the brain develops more efficient strategies for both learning and recall.”

Reduce Stress

Constant stress releases cortisol in the brain, which weakens memory. Meditation can reduce harmful stress hormones by shifting the focus of our attention. Lack of sleep can cause stress, while getting adequate sleep reduces chronic inflammation, improves memory and helps us to be more resilient in dealing with stressful events.

Reach Out to Others

Establishing and maintaining relationships with others is another way to help the brain. “Social interactions boost cognitive ability,” says Dr. Small. “Becoming and staying socially engaged may reduce your risk for dementia by as much as 60 percent.”

Having or finding a purpose can also help us stay sharp. A Rush University Medical Center study of more than 950 older adults found that those who had clear intentions and goals were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s over the subsequent seven years.

Research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that engaging in volunteer activities may boost brain function. Researchers found that after six months of volunteering, the participants demonstrated significant increases in brain activity in regions important to cognitive function.

Keeping the mind fit should be a lifelong priority, and is a pursuit that can greatly influence the quality of our lives in our later years. The Healthy Brain Initiative, a project sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and the Alzheimer’s Association to promote cognitive health, makes a great argument for maintaining good mental health: “Having a clear, active mind at any age is important, but as we get older it can mean the difference between dependent and independent living.”

Labels: Brain Games, Cognitive Exercise, Cognitive Fitness, Diet, Exercise, Fitness, For the Mind, Gary Small, Nancy Sokoler Steiner, Stress

Sandra Hoban, Executive Editor at Long Term Living Magazine, wrote this wonderful piece in their blog yesterday, entitled Residents reconnect with the soil at LA Jewish Home. We wanted to share an excerpt of it with you.


It's always nice to be recognized for one of the amazing services we provide our seniors. We'd like to thank Long Term Living Magazine and Sandra for writing such an amazing piece. Click the link above to read the entire blog.

Also, take a look at the article we wrote in our News and Updates page about Susan Leitch and the G•Z community garden.

Labels: Alzheimer's, Cognitive Exercise, Cross Post, Garden, Long Term Living, Molly Forrest, Nadine Roisman, Shoban, Susan Leitch

Studies are proving that cognitive exercise enhances memory and reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Now, new software programs are helping to keep a generation of older American minds young and fit.

At the forefront of this innovative technology is the Dakim Power Cognitive Fitness System. Currently in use at the Jewish Home, Dakim (pronounced day-kim) is a highly interactive, touch-screen computer designed to challenge, stimulate, and entertain while exercising the mind.

Ease of Use

One of Dakim's strengths is its user-friendliness. As a plug-and-play system, pre-loaded with software, access is immediate.

"It's appearance is less intimidating than a desktop computer," notes Dan Michel, CEO of Dakim, Inc. Michel invented the system to help his father, who suffered from dementia. "We worked hard not to have the unit look like a work station computer. There is no keyboard, no mouse. It's a touch-screen system that literally speaks to you."

The computer has a built-in camera which takes your picture when you first register. The very next session, it greets you by name. (Dakim even remembers birthdays.)

Once users get into their workout, a variety of interactive exercises awaits them. Dakim comes loaded with brain games, some of them designed to make the user feel like a contestant on a game show. With its Internet connection, the machine automatically downloads new exercises almost daily to keep cognitive training fresh and interesting.

Creative Programming

The secret to successful programming, says Michel, is to keep the games challenging enough to be stimulating – not too tough to discourage, nor so easy that players will be bored. The level of difficulty rises as the user becomes more proficient.

Programming is based on the latest research into cognitive science and the emerging field of brain fitness. Chief scientific advisor on the project is Dr. Gary Small, professor of psychiatry and bio-behavioral sciences, and Director of the UCLA Center on Aging.

Each Dakim session takes about 20 minutes to complete, and every session works all six cognitive domains. These include short-term memory, long-term memory, language, calculation, visuospatial orientation, and critical thinking. But we haven't even mentioned the most important part.

It's a Lot of Fun!

In one short-term memory game, you view movie clips from the 30s and 40s. Then you are asked to remember things like where a particular scene took place, or what the dialogue was about. Users get hooked, and keep coming back for more.

"It's fun, self-directing, and exciting," says Jewish Home CEO-President, Molly Forrest, who took Dakim for a test drive and had a ball. Best of all, users are independent. "You don't need anyone looking over your shoulder to talk you through the program."

Encouraging seniors to move aggressively into the information age is a priority at the Jewish Home. "It makes sense for myriad reasons," Forrest notes. "Technology is opening the door for all of us to engage our minds, improve our memory, and reach out to the world."

Research confirms that regular interaction with programs like Dakim are more than just entertaining. The Bronx Aging Study, conducted by the Department of Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that seniors who regularly engage in mentally stimulating activities can significantly reduce their risk of dementia.

"Cognitive fitness is an essential element of a healthy lifestyle," notes Forrest. "It can improve our health and preserve our independence as we age."

For an online introduction to the Dakim system, and additional information on the benefits of cognitive fitness for seniors, visit www.dakim.com.

Kathleen Doheny is a Los Angeles-based journalist who also writes for WebMD.com, healthday.com, Weight Watchers, the Los Angeles Times and other publications.

Labels: Alzheimer's, Cognitive Exercise, Cognitive Fitness, Dakim, Doheny, Feature Articles, For the Mind, Memory