There's good news, I promise.

​We are talking about cognitive decline.  As we age, our brains change.  It’s a fact of life.  It happens to everyone.  Our brain slows down and there is a difference in our ability to remember things from when we were younger to now.  This is the definition of cognitive decline, which is completely different than cognitive impairment.  There is a study that explains this cognitive decline as the brain having a finite amount of space in which to fill and our brains just get pickier about the information it chooses to retain.  I like that one.  I feel as if there are things I forget but it isn’t because I didn’t remember, it’s because I just didn’t care enough to clutter my finite amount of brain space.   Solid thinking, Brain!  On the flip side, our knowledge and verbal skills remain strong and some, like myself, would argue get stronger with age.  Experiences build upon our knowledge base and, hence my argument, gives us more knowledge.  Older people have a lot of knowledge.  Ask them!  They will tell you!  If we build on our discussion on socializing and being connected, research shows older people who socialize have increased cognitive brain function, reduce their risk of dementia, and reduce the rate of cognitive decline.   All good news for those that engage in social activities, have good friends, and go to Silver Station!  Absolutely shameless, I fully admit.  But true, nonetheless.