MONEY THOUGHTS: Make building your cognitive reserve a priority
I’VE recently had some conversations with older people that have been tough because of obvious mental decline. I’ve noticed their tendency to ramble, to lose their train of thought, or to forget descriptive words.
Recently, discussions with elderly individuals regarding mental decline have been challenging. Their rambling, loss of focus, and inability to recall descriptive words have become apparent. In an upcoming episode of a podcast co-hosted by the reporter, Dr. Steven Poh and licensed financial planner Kevin Neoh, the concept of cognitive reserve was discussed.
For a retirement period of around 20 to 35 years, three distinct phases are assumed, each lasting roughly seven years. The reporter emphasizes the importance of maintaining mental capabilities during the second and third phases to manage passive income, budget expenses, and stay relevant in society. Dementia, an umbrella term for a decline in mental capacity, affects a small percentage of people in their early 60s but increases significantly with age.
While there is no cure for dementia, building a cognitive reserve can help delay or avoid its onset. This can be achieved through several lifestyle choices, including quitting smoking, engaging in vigorous exercise, managing diabetes and cholesterol levels, addressing vision and hearing impairments, and challenging oneself with difficult subjects and mentoring roles.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
