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Age Up Age Well Monthly Blog

June 2026 - Issue 7

Connecting Information to Your Daily Life

Headlines

Natural Aging Versus Neuro Cognitive Decline

This month, I'm ready to dive into the differences between a typically aging brain and one in neuro-cognitive decline. My primary objective is to alleviate fear and anxiety associated with aging and to provide you with perspective.

Let's all take a deep breath and cut ourselves some slack. Let's not make proverbial mountains out of mole hills and let's find a way to embrace all life has to offer without waiting for something bad to happen. We should not panic with every episode of forgetfulness or each time we have difficulty coming up with a word. Dementia does not just happen.

There are patterns to consider and levels of severity need to be taken into account. Please don't attempt to self-diagnose or start labeling shifts in cognition as "dementia" and please don't make jokes or light of it. Check out the functional changes checklist under the resources tab. It will give you a guideline to follow.

Closer Look

Someone told me their grandchildren started calling her husband "Zeimer." I was so taken aback I had to calm myself before responding. "Do you mean Alzheimer's?" They said yes and then gave examples of when he forgets something or struggles to come up with a word. "They think it's funny," she went on.

I had to ask, "Do you think it's funny?" She smiled somewhat sheepishly and said, "No, not really, but he is more forgetful." The grandchildren were old enough to know better. They did not think they were being cruel or hurtful and suggested, "Grandpa doesn't care." Well, guess what? Grandpa did care and he was hurt and he was also reluctant to participate in family gatherings because he didn't want to be "picked on."

Turns out this person had a complicated medical history and a hearing loss. Medication side effects created "brain fog" and his hearing deficits added another barrier to cognitive functioning.

Can you imagine being treated this way? I experienced a wave of emotions on his behalf. With his decision to avoid family gatherings he was increasing his risk of cognitive decline. Many people avoid situations where they may have difficulty following a conversation or may feel added pressure to "get everything right." Even on our best days, perfection is not sustainable. We may start assuming normal shifts in our cognition are a fast track to dementia. Let's talk about it.

Normal aging changes:

There is little to no disruption in our daily lives. We adjust and adapt using assistive equipment, hearing aids or glasses, closed captioning, and organizational tools including calendars. It may take us longer to come up with an answer on Jeopardy and breaking tasks down into smaller steps may become our norm and yet we're still functioning within normal limits.

We may not remember the names of everyone at church or exercise class, but we are comfortable asking. We may need to have information repeated, but we're comfortable making that request. Read on to learn more about when these changes do significantly impact our ability to live our life independently. The following are consistent with true dementia signs and symptoms.

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  • We require more assistance with self-care including using the bathroom, dressing and grooming.
  • We require medication reminders if we're forgetting to take our medication or we're not taking the appropriate dose at the recommended times.
  • We require support with our financial management if we're forgetting to pay bills, recognize bills/coins and their corresponding denominations or we are susceptible to financial scams.
  • We require assistance with our mobility due to an increase in trips, falls, loss of balance, etc.
  • We require frequent re-direction if we're more confused. We may have changes in our typical behavior or personality.
  • We require demonstration of how to use familiar objects including our phone, the TV remote or items associated with daily living including appliances, utensils, bathroom/grooming items.
  • We require an increase in the repeat of questions, comments, instructions, etc. because it's become more difficult to pay attention.
  • We require more help coming up with words and lose interest in conversations.
  • We require encouragement to participate in previously enjoyed activities both at home and the community.
  • We require that others make difficult decisions for us including taking our car keys away if we're demonstrating the inability to safely operate our vehicle or we're getting confused as to where we're going.
  • We require increased assistance around the house if we're not sure how to make a meal, clean up afterward or keep up with our chores including laundry, cleaning, etc.

Cognitive Connection

Normal aging comes with changes. This is life. We can give up or we can give it all we've got. It's time to be proactive! Let's all be objective when we demonstrate what may be perceived as a concern.

I'm learning more about technology every day and it takes me longer to understand everything, but I also love to learn new things. To those who grew up with technology, please be patient with the rest of us. Remember, we once thought electric typewriters with auto-correct were the pinnacle of advancement.

Please don't tell us it's easy or go so fast in your explanation that we feel compelled to say "got it" when we really only captured about 30%. And please don't say, "I already told you..." Aging is already daunting and we rely on our circle of support to give us the same patience and encouragement we gave them when they were learning new things.

Excerpt from Age Up Age Well

"Today I will talk to my family about "soft signs." I don't like mushrooms, fish or dark chocolate. What if I suddenly order fish or start putting mushrooms on pizza? These could be early signs of shifts in my cognition. Is it an underlying medical condition? Am I having an adverse reaction to medication? Changes in typical subtle behaviors can be a cause for concern...those who love and care for us need to be aware of what to look for when we're simply not ourselves. Yes, today I will make sure they do. Good for me."

Quote

"We are not put on this earth for ourselves but are placed here for each other. If you are always there for others, then in time of need, someone will be here for you."

- Jeff Warner

What's next...

July 2026: Retirement and our BONUS years!

Until next time...
Age up Age well
Chris