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

The core of cognitive health education for the elderly is centered around the three directions of cognitive function protection, abnormal signal identification, and family care for cognitive impairment. All content is suitable for the daily scenarios of the elderly, and there are no empty theories. The purpose is to help the elderly delay cognitive decline, and even if problems arise, early detection and early intervention can be achieved to reduce the impact of the disease on life.

I have been doing health education for the elderly in the community for 5 years. My biggest feeling is that the first thing this kind of content should break is the inherent misunderstanding that "being old and confused is normal aging". Don't underestimate this misunderstanding. Last month, there was an 81-year-old man in our jurisdiction. After boiling water for the first time and boiling the kettle dry, the family members thought that "people forget things as they get older." It wasn't until the old man went out to buy groceries that he couldn't find his home and was sent back by the police, then he thought of going to the hospital to check. He was already suffering from moderate Alzheimer's disease and missed the golden window for mild intervention.

After getting rid of the misunderstanding, we will teach you many easy-to-do cognitive protection methods, which are not difficult. For example, asking the elderly to keep a small ledger for buying groceries every day, singing old songs to the TV, playing chess with old neighbors, and even memorizing the names of three roadside stores every day when going out for a walk are all effective. Cognitive training. There used to be a 74-year-old man with mild cognitive decline. He followed our advice and spent 15 minutes every day writing two lines about the daily life events. He persisted for 8 months. Now he can accurately name the three old friends who participated in community activities last week. Before, he even thought about what he had for breakfast for a long time.

At this point, I should also mention that there is currently no completely unified conclusion on the specific effects of cognitive training in the academic community. Some basic research scholars believe that single brain training has a very limited effect on delaying cognitive decline. It must be combined with a Mediterranean diet and aerobic exercise more than three times a week to see clear effects.； However, some clinicians have pointed out that as long as it is an activity that the elderly are willing to actively participate in, even if it is just sitting and playing games for half an hour every day, it will have greater cognitive benefits than lying around in a daze all day without communicating with others. When we do education, we will not force-fed standard programs. We will adjust them according to the living habits of the elderly. For those who don’t like to go out, start by playing cards and writing numbers. For those who like to be lively, it is recommended to go to a senior college to learn calligraphy and chorus.

In addition to preventive content, there is also a large part prepared for the family members of the elderly who have already developed cognitive impairment, teaching them how to communicate with the elderly and how to take care of them so as to avoid pitfalls. Many family members have no experience before. The elderly ask the same question repeatedly, and the family members are impatient and choke. When the elderly are in a bad mood, the speed of cognitive decline will be faster. Last month, a family member came to give us feedback, In the past, her mother would ask "When are you going to work" ten times a day, and she would say "I have told you eight hundred times that I have a day off today." The old man would cry for a long time every time. After learning the "accommodating communication" method in missionary education, he would always say "Come on, come on, I will bring you your favorite peach cake after get off work." The old man never got into trouble because of this again, and his condition was much more stable.

To put it bluntly, this type of health education has never been about setting rules for the elderly. It is all about how comfortable and useful it is. After all, it can help the elderly live a few more years of good sobriety, which is better than anything else.