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Course Will Help Stave Off 'Senior Moments'

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By Klint  Lowry | The Suncoast News

Published: October 18, 2008

HUDSON - We can all laugh off those occasional "senior moments" when the brain just seems to take an unscheduled break right in the middle of something, leaving its owner with a puzzled look muttering, "Why did I come in this room?"

But the more senior we get or the more frequent the moments, they may not seem so funny anymore. Indeed, people of any age can be frustrated by inconvenient "blanking," of instantly forgetting the name of the person they just met or where they put their car keys.

Morton Plant Mease and Community Aging and Retirement Services are offering "Memory Fit Training," a five-week course to improve memory. The course will be offered from 10 a.m. until noon Tuesdays beginning Oct. 28 at the CARES Rao Musunuru, M.D., Enrichment Center, 12417 Clock Tower Parkway, Hudson.

The class will meet four consecutive weeks, skip Thanksgiving week and conclude Dec. 2.

"It is a two-hour course packed full of information," said Celisa Bonner, clinic coordinator for the Madonna Ptak Alzheimer's Research Center, in Clearwater. Bonner will conduct the course, which was designed by Dr. Gary Small, director of the UCLA Center on Aging.

This course is not intended for people who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. It is for people who are interested in improving and maintaining a strong memory.

While age-related memory issues are the focus of the program, the exercises can be applied by anyone, and all ages are welcome.

One of the first steps in the program is to start erasing negative self-images about memory, Bonner said. That's easier said than done, as doubts and mental blocks are built up over a lifetime.

"It's really fun because most of it is group participation," Bonner said.

The course is filled with group activities, in part because social interaction is a key to maintaining a strong memory. Early on in the course, there are tests for participants to gauge their memory, and for each participant to figure out what memory techniques will work best for them, one that emphasizes the visual, the verbal, the tactile or some combination.

There are many terms most folks will find familiar, Bonner said, including "association," "visualization" and "imagery." This course shows what these concepts are and how they can be used.

More importantly, the class has homework. Each week, participants will be asked to go out and apply the techniques they picked up with some real world practical application.

Along with emphasizing the need for relaxation, there are also other lifestyle tips included in the course, including a helping of nutritional advice. A lot of it may sound familiar, Bonner said, and similar to the Mediterranean diet touted by many doctors for good cardiovascular health.

"Whatever's good for the heart is good for the brain," she said. "It's all connected."

The cost of the program is $25, but space is limited. To register call 727-462-7500.

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