What are the content of cognitive health education for the elderly?

I have been doing science popularization on cognitive health for the elderly in the community for almost five years. To be honest, the current cognitive health education for the elderly focuses on four core directions: early identification of cognitive abnormalities, implementation of daily intervention, early prevention of hidden risks, and social and family support. All content is designed based on the real life scenarios of the elderly, and there are basically no obscure professional terms.

I met Aunt Zhang from the community before. She couldn't find the key to her home for a week. She sat downstairs and cried, saying that she was definitely going to suffer from Alzheimer's disease, which would affect her children. This situation is so common that many elderly people simply cannot tell what is normal cognitive aging and what is a pathological signal that requires intervention. Therefore, every time we hold a science popularization meeting, the first thing we talk about is this boundary - occasionally being unable to remember other people's names or misplacing things but being able to remember them later are all normal manifestations of aging, so there is no need to be overly anxious. ； But if you repeatedly forget what you just said or did, or even can't find your home when you go out, or can't figure out the grocery bill, then you should go to the hospital's memory clinic for screening in time, and don't always treat it like an "old fool". The stage of mild cognitive impairment that we often refer to is the stage where people forget more things than their peers, but do not delay their normal life. The effect of intervention at this stage is the best, and many elderly people’s cognitive scores can go back up after six months of adjustment.

After figuring out how to identify abnormalities, the next most common question that old people ask is "Then what should I do so that I am not confused?" This part of the content is the easiest to get into trouble, and it is also where we spend the most energy when doing science popularization. When you say the word "cognitive training", it sounds confusing to the elderly. We usually replace it with "gymnastics for the brain." For example, taking 15 minutes a day to fill in crossword puzzles for the elderly, singing two model operas from the youth, playing two games of mahjong with an old friend, or even learning to cook a new dish from a video. These are all effective cognitive training, and there is no need to learn anything advanced. There is also the brain supplement that everyone is most concerned about. At present, there is no unified conclusion in the academic community on whether dietary supplements can delay cognitive decline. Some studies have shown that specific Omega-3 supplements may be helpful to some people. However, most of the health supplements on the market do not reach the effective dose. Instead, they may have the risk of adding unknown ingredients. Previously, small Uncle Li from the district saved up his pension for three months to buy a nutrient solution that was said to "can cure Alzheimer's disease." However, it was finally found out that it was a three-no product. He felt dizzy after half a month of eating it. Therefore, we usually recommend that the elderly give priority to supplementing their nutrition through a balanced diet. Eat a handful of nuts every day, eat more dark green vegetables, and avoid foods high in oil and sugar. This is more stable than any health care product.

In addition to active intervention content, there are also many risk prevention content that are easily overlooked. We usually provide family members with a reminder during science popularization. After all, if an elderly person really suffers from cognitive decline, accidents such as getting lost, forgetting to turn off the gas, or taking the wrong medicine are most likely to occur. It is useless to just talk to the elderly about these problems. The family members must cooperate with each other. For example, putting a card with the name, address, and phone number of the family member in the elderly person's pocket, putting a large reminder note next to the gas valve and kettle at home, and putting commonly used medicines into pill boxes with reminders in the morning, noon, and evening are all techniques that do not cost a few dollars but can solve big problems. Oh, and there is also the adjustment of mentality. When many elderly people hear that their cognition is declining, they stay at home and worry every day, which will speed up the decline. In the past, there was a grandfather in our area who did not like to go out after retirement. He became more and more forgetful in half a year. Later, he was dragged by his old friend to study Chinese painting at the University for the Elderly. He went out to sketch and party with his classmates every day. After half a year, his cognitive score was tested and it was two points higher than before. Do you think it's magical?

To be honest, cognitive health education for the elderly is slowly being adjusted now. In the past, we used professional courseware, and the elderly couldn't sit still after listening to it for ten minutes. Now, we sit in the community and chat with the elderly for half a month to understand what they care about and understand, and then adjust the content. Otherwise, no matter how professional the lecture is, it will be in vain.