Staying Socially Engaged

posted on January 29, 2010

By Monal Patel – Assistant Outreach Coordinator

Do you know someone that is socially isolated and can’t figure out ways to stay engaged? Social isolation has been proven capable of being extremely harmful to older adults’ cognitive abilities, not to mention a major contributor to depression.  A study published in The Journal of Gerontology tested a group of women who started volunteering at a school. After six months in the schools, the women underwent a round of cognitive testing.  Their performance improved by over 40 percent when compared to a control group, and M.R.I. scans showed the women’s brain activity had positive changes. 

There are many ways you can stay engaged. Normal, day-to-day activities such as attending lectures, volunteering, becoming active in political or other civic affairs, or working full or part-time at a job that offers you mental stimulation are all equally valid approaches. Losing executive function – the ability to focus on tasks and make sound judgments - is one of the major reasons people find themselves unable to maintain an independent household. Therefore, it’s very important that these cognitive skills be maintained on a day-to-day basis. As Dr. Michelle Carlson, leader of the study, says:  “Our bodies are meant to move and our brains are built for novelty.”