From the age of 50 or more, so-called benign forgetfulness can occur, which consists of forgetting proper names, whether they are family members, neighbors or friends; where frequently used objects such as glasses are located, or not remembering certain actions such as taking a medication. It is necessary to take into account that there are factors that affect memory loss, such as tobacco, alcohol, stress, depression and anxiety, among others.
Older people have a cognitive reserve or neural plasticity that makes the brain have a very important potential that allows it to continue learning. And what happens that I forget things?
In old age there are changes in cognitive functions, mainly in the speed of information processing and memory. But this does not imply a loss of abilities, except for the existence of a pathological process called cognitive deterioration or dementia; So what used to be resolved more quickly now takes longer and is more difficult to remember. It is also true that cognitive changes are affected by the social environment and by the possibility of maintaining healthy lifestyle habits. When an older person becomes aware that the cognitive changes that he is experiencing can put his abilities in doubt; this has become one of the main concerns of people.
It must be considered that these changes in one’s own and expected cognitive functions in aging do not affect autonomy or independence in daily life. Rather, each of the cognitive functions gives us autonomy and independence. For example, we need memory to remember where we put an object or what we did recently; we use attention to learn, follow a conversation or recognize where we are; we require planning to organize a day or prepare a meal. All this comes into play when choosing what we want to do and how to carry it out efficiently.
Frequent forgetfulness that can occur in everyday life are those related to everyday actions. These tasks are stored in implicit memory, reducing the expenditure of energy and attention that the action takes, and in this way, at the same time, it allocates attention to other things or information. Therefore, it is not recorded that the action has been carried out.
And in this sense, we share with you suggestions to reduce them:
- lend greater attention at the time of performing the action.
- verbalize aloud what you are doing and/or data of the day.
- Try visualize the action performed by observing and recording the details or data of that instant
- try to take the personal time for each act.
- deautomate routine activities. Avoid monotony in tasks.
- Stimulate all five senses trying that the information that you are carrying out the usual action enters through the greatest number of sensory pathways.
- Keep the order. Don’t move things around.
- use the rewind techniquementally going back, thinking about what he did the last time he used the item, where he was, with whom, if something happened that distracted him, etc.
- Use pill boxes to organize weekly medication.
- Use of external memory supports: messages, sticky sheets and reminder posters in visible and frequent places. Write in agendas, almanacs, blackboards, personal diaries, cell phone reminders, among others.
“Intersaberes”, Professional Educational Group: Lic. Del Rosso Julieta; Lic. Elissalt Lucia; Lic. Ferreyra Luisina; Mr. Marchini Amalia; Mr. Torres Marilda.
by CEDOC
