Both my parents had dementia. So whenever research is published suggesting some way of avoiding dementia, I am interested. A recent edition of the online publication Neurology (http://www.neurology.org/content/75/11/990.abstract) adduced further evidence for the claim that mental activity can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s.
So, here’s a New Year’s resolution for anyone even remotely concerned about dementia: let’s make 2013 the year to get mentally active!
Usually when people talk about ‘mental activity’ they mean su doku, crosswords and the like. I adore su doku (and have several years running got into the Times National Championships – though never remotely near winning!). But I am not convinced that games of this sort are really where it is at in staving off dementia. Both my parents were crossword addicts. Every morning they would set themselves up with sharp pencils, the dictionary (I always thought that was cheating), and a couple of cryptic crosswords over which they would argue happily until lunchtime. But enjoy it as they did, it didn’t help when it came to warding off dementia.
No, I suspect that what’s needed is meaningful mental activity, the sort of thing that is equally addictive but on which you can build, so that after a year you have more to show for it than 365 completed crossword grids.
This is where it really gets interesting for me. My day job, after all, involves encouraging people to get interested in a mental activity. Specifically my day job, as Director of Studies in Philosophy for the Department for Continuing Education at OxfordUniversity, involves encouraging people – especially older people – to get interested in philosophy.
Philosophy – in Greek the love of wisdom – involves exercising tenacity and self-discipline in reasoning about extremely big and abstract questions such as ‘does time exist?’, ‘do we have free will?’, ‘should we be realists about the external world?’ and such like.
It is, I believe, part of human nature to wonder about such things. But, until they are retired, few people are able to spend time wondering about such things. But many people, once they are retired, take to it like ducks to water. I have also found that carers, especially those stuck at home, relish the opportunity to get their grey cells working. Especially if it doesn’t involve them in having to leave the person they are caring for.
This is certainly true of the 286 members of the Philosophical Society attached to my department (http://oxfordphilsoc.org/ ). These people regularly get together to argue about philosophy, to attend some of the weekend schools or weekly classes run by the department, or just to read the annual review.
But you don’t have to be able to get to Oxford to get involved. If you check out the website you’ll see that there is also a thriving online discussion forum (at the moment they are arguing about what words mean). The department also runs short (10 week) online courses (http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/courses/online/short/subject.php?course_subject=Philosophy) . Each takes you, by guided discussion, from being a complete beginner, to feeling that at least you know where the foothills are! If you are in receipt of carers’ allowance you even get a discount!
Age is no barrier. The oldest member of our society is in his 90s. This doesn’t stop him asking pertinent and searching questions of our speakers, and spending coffee breaks arguing his point with others.
It breaks my heart to read about older people being lonely. Why be lonely when you can join in such a warm and welcoming group and engage in the meaningful mental activity that might help you hold dementia at bay?
If you are interested, but would like to talk it through first with me, don’t hesitate to be in touch by email, I should be very happy to help you!
