‘Brain training’ can help improve thinking skills in the elderly

A new study shows that engaging older adults into computer-based brain training can lead to improvements in memory, speed and thinking skills. However, it has no impact on attention or executive functions such as impulse control, planning and problem solving, a team of Australian researchers revealed.
‘Our results, however, show that brain training under a trained professional can improve cognition in older adults but commercial products promoted for solo training use at home just do not work. There are better ways to spend your time and money,’ explained associate professor Michael Valenzuela from Brain and Mind Research Institute (BMRI) at University of Sydney. (Read: Revealed – how brain training improves performance)

Promising new evidence now indicates that engaging in challenging mental activities can help maintain cognition and lower the risk of dementia. In response, a lucrative brain training industry has quickly developed, tapping into the anxieties of baby boomers now entering retirement age and eager to start activities that protect their brains.
For the study, the team combined outcomes from 51 randomised clinical trials, including almost 5,000 participants, using a mathematical approach called meta-analysis. The findings show that engaging in group-based brain training under the supervision of a trainer is effective at improving performance on a range of cognitive skills in healthy older adults. (Read: Revealed — how brain training improves multitasking skills)
The study appeared in the journal PLOS Medicine.
Source: IANS

Photo source: Getty images

Police officer stops to help elderly woman lying in snow; both are struck by car

attawan, MI -- A police officer and an elderly woman who was lying in the snow, were both struck by a car early Tuesday morning.
According to the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office, Mattawan Police Officer Brian Matyas was on patrol in the area of Cole Avenue east of 25th Street at around 2:38 a.m., when he found a 74-year-old woman lying in the snow on the side of the road.
Officer Matyas stopped, called for an ambulance, and immediately started to assist the woman. That's when a car drove by and struck both the officer and the elderly woman.
Matyas suffered minor injuries that include bruises to his leg and hip. The female victim was taken to the hospital where she is listed in stable condition.
The crash remains under investigation, and once it has been completed, the case will be forwarded to the prosecutor's office for further review.
WXMI

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Elderly Immokalee woman seeks help with leaky ceiling

IMMOKALEE, Fla. - 80-year-old Alfiree Jackson is dealing with a big problem in the ceiling of her hallway and bathroom - some serious leaks.
Her daughter says the family can't afford to fix it. So she reached out to Fox 4- sending anchor Patrick Nolan asking if there's anything the station can do to help.
4 In Your Corner's Karl Fortier went to the home in Immokalee to look into the family's concerns.
Jackson told Karl the trouble started about a year ago.
"The ceiling got real soft, and pretty soon the water started dripping," Jackson said.
She says when it rains, she has to put pots and pans in the hall to catch the water leaking through the ceiling, which is visibly sagging.
There also appears to be what looks like mold forming around the vent in the bathroom nearby.
"I'm just worried about my mom being in here and getting sick with the mold," her daughter Patricia Green said.
"The ceiling's eventually going to fall in if we don't get it taken care of."
She says a repair crew from out of town had been in the attic doing some work, and she thought they might have caused the problem. B
But when they came back to look at the issue, they denied responsibility.
Green says her mother cannot afford the cost of repairs.
They're now hoping that someone with the know-how to do the work is in the giving spirit.
If you're able to help Jackson with her ceiling repairs, or know of some other options, you can call Fox 4 at 239-206-FOX 4 or email us at news@fox4now.com.
The 4 In Your Corner Troubleshooter would love to help you save the day!

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Regular cleaning must be carried out to keep the carpets in good condition. People tend to get respiratory problems such as asthma or become allergic due to dust formation. When cleaners Bolton knowledge is accompanied with the best technology applied to different types of fabrics and on expensive carpets, it is sure to yield the desired results. Bolton is a thickly populated area where the need for such services is high. Carpets tend to accumulate a lot of dirt, dust and allergens and even microbes which are hazardous to health. Since they are well trained to deal with stains and germs, they can provide you with the desired level of cleanliness and your carpet will look cleaner and fresher. There are many carpet cleaning companies in Bolton that can provide you excellent services with minimum fuss and mess. Regular cleaning of carpets is very important.

Protection for the elderly

Our Members of Parliament should talk about legislation to toughen penalties against those who commit crimes against the elderly.
A 62-YEAR-OLD coffee shop owner from Ipoh reportedly lost RM9,700 after he received a call from an alleged Bank Negara officer, who told the senior citizen he had some outstanding credit card bills to pay.
Shocked, the elderly man said he never owned a credit card.
The purported central bank officer insisted that the elderly man’s particulars may have been used by syndicates and convinced him that he could help resolve the matter.

Bewildered and gullible, the older man withdrew every ringgit he had in three bank accounts and, as instructed, deposited the sum into an account belonging to a certain “Datuk” supposedly for safekeeping.
After this, he never heard from the so-called bank officer again, and it dawned on him that he had been cheated.
Far too often, scam artists perceive senior citizens as vulnerable and relatively wealthy due to either their access to Employee Providence Fund (EPF) accounts, government pensions after long years of service, or possible big savings.
As a result, seniors are easy targets of a wide range of consumer fraud scams.
Financial exploitation, however, is not the only threat to the seniors’ safety.
Physical and sexual abuse of elderly citizens also happen, often at nursing homes.
Shockingly, there were also cases of senior citizens facing abuse at the hands of their kin or children, frequently due to property disputes.
This writer wonders if these things happening to the elderly have anything to do with a perception among some people that “old” is “unhealthy”, “useless” or “lifeless”.
But look at former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. He is approaching 90 yet, from the way he thinks and conducts himself, he shows he can be more visionary and creative than some people decades younger than him.
In case my fellow Malaysians have forgotten or are not aware, we have a National Policy on Senior Citizens that stipulates “old” as being 60 and above.
This definition is based on the calendar age rather than the physiological, biological or functional aspects.
The policy, among others, seeks to establish a society of the elderly who are contented, dignified and possess a high sense of self-worth.
It spells out how it will take care of and protect the senior folks.
And these include “enabling the elderly to benefit from institutional services aside (from) providing care, protection as well as social and mental stimulation in a safe and comfortable environment.”
It pledges also to help the elderly in receiving social and legal service “to advance the autonomy rights of the individual, their protection and care.”
In the case of the senior citizen who was cheated of his savings, the victim did the sensible thing –reporting the matter to the police.
But, seriously, senior folks in distress need more than just police attention. They need some professional legal help or even counselling that should be just a phone call away.
Some countries, this writer understands, have such help lines for the elderly, staffed by attorneys who take the calls.
We could take a leaf from these “hot line attorneys” who give legal advice to senior citizens who are socially or economically-needy.
This writer also feels that aggressive action to prosecute those who prey on seniors as well as educational brochures and talks could help root out abuse against the elderly.
It appears then that as the elderly population grows in this country, protecting older citizens would be an increasingly important responsibility of the Attorney-General’s office.
At the same time, our Members of Parliament should be talking about legislations to toughen penalties against those who commit crimes against the elderly.
Shah A. Dadameah is an Associate Editor at News Desk. He learned as a young adult that “it’s not how many years in your life that count, but how much life you have in your years”. The views expressed are entirely the writer’s own.