Simply telling grandma that she forgot your birthday because she’s getting
older might exacerbate her memory problems. A University of California study
has found ageist stereotypes about forgetfulness can reduce the cognitive
performance of the elderly and has uncovered a simple trick to reverse these
perceptions.
“Older adults should be careful not to buy into negative stereotypes about
aging ? attributing every forgetful moment to getting older can actually worsen
memory problems.” said lead author Dr. Sarah Barber, a cognitive psychologist at
the USC Davis School.
I ? Word Understanding
Exacerbate ? to make something worse
Ageist stereotypes ? unfair or untrue belief about older people
Cognitive performance ? the skill of thinking, understanding, learning and
remembering
II ? Have Your Say
1. Dementia is a loss of brain function that occurs with certain diseases.
It affects memory, thinking, language, judgment, and behavior. Since
society in Japan is aging at a faster rate than in other countries, the
increasing number of patients with dementia has become a serious
medical and social problem.
2. Eating a healthy diet and being active are crucial to retain our good
mental state all throughout the golden years.
How do you take care of your brain?
183 Telling The Elderly That They Are Forgetful Can Make Their Memory Worse
