September is Healthy Aging Month: Here’s How to Keep Your Brain and Body Healthy!

Yes, it’s healthy aging month! You all know the basics: eat well, exercise, get enough rest. But what are the other lesser- known ways to stay healthy as we get older? Let’s look at a few:

• Connect with people of different generations: Meaningful conversations across age groups can offer fresh perspectives and new ideas. Strong social connections strongly correlate with living longer. There are many opportunities to connect with people like joining a book club or volunteering at a food bank or a community clinic.

• Learn something new:Take a class, attend a workshop, watch a tutorial, or explore a subject that's always interested you. You may not think you're artistic but take an art class anyway! Who knows what hidden talents you possess? Several of my friends have joined in on the mahjong craze. They find it mentally challenging but it's also an opportunity to socialize.

• Medicines need regular reviews: Older adults often take multiple prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, and supplements that can interact poorly over time. Taking too many medicines can cause brain fog and dizziness. Sometimes (but not all) you may no longer need a certain medicine or the dose needs to change. Review your medicines with your doctors or a pharmacist regularly.

• Get regular hearing and eye exams: Regular eye and hearing exams are critical in older age to detect silent diseases early, preserve independence, and prevent accidents like dangerous falls.

• Keep Your Bones Healthy. Talk to your doctor about whether you need a DXA (pronounced "deksa") scan to check how healthy your bones are. Breaking bones as you age can be debilitating, and even deadly. And the good news is that there's a lot you can do to prevent breaking bones. When I worked in the UAB Osteoporosis Clinic many patients told me that maintaining their independence was the most important goal. A broken bone can take away that independence.

• Do not be afraid to clarify your needs to your doctor or to switch doctors : Ageism is a widespread and significant issue in healthcare, affecting roughly 1 in 5 older adults in the U.S. and leading to poorer health outcomes and higher costs. What does ageism look and sound like? Dismissing symptoms as “just old age”, talking down to patients like you’re a child (elder speak), excluding you from decision making, and rationing or changing treatments are some of the signs of ageism. Your doctor should not recommend your treatment solely based on your age. Not every 80 year old is aging in the same way. For people who are frail and have several health conditions, gentler treatments may be a better option. For people who are quite robust and don't have many other health conditions, more aggressive treatment may be an option. While it's a good idea to bring someone with you to your appointments as a second set of ears, the doctor should talk to you and make eye contact with you. If you don't feel comfortable with your doctor or feel like you're not getting the kind of care you need, find another doctor. You will not hurt their feelings and it is your health, your choice.

Now finally we come to Saturday's UAB Brain Chat Event!

UAB Brain Chats is this Saturday at the Hoover Public Library from 11 am to Noon. The topic is: A Discussion About Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia. The speaker is Victor Del Bene, PhD from the UAB Department of Neurobiology. It's a great opportunity to listen, learn, and ask questions of brain scientists to help you age healthfully! And it's free!