During old age, this training can prevent cognitive decline.
And it is that from retirement age and even a little earlier, our ability to think nimbly in abstract terms, make decisions and remember information experiences a wear and tear naturally, without the need for us to have developed a disease. Now, just because something is natural doesn’t mean we can’t do anything about it.
In this article we will see what cognitive training is for the elderly, and how this therapeutic procedure conducted by psychologists can help older people with declining cognitive skills.
What is cognitive training?
Currently, psychology professionals have a wide repertoire of types of psychological intervention that adapt to different profiles and needs: the idea that the psychologist only does something called “psychological therapy” is basically a myth.
That is why, for example, one of my lines of work is cognitive training in the elderly, whose components and objectives are very different from what should be done when treating people with anxiety, work teams with communication problems, patients with poor regulation of emotions, etc.
Now…what is cognitive training and how does it apply to the elderly?
Cognitive training, as its name suggests, is a type of psychological intervention (directed by a professional) in which an attempt is made to enhance a group of mental abilities linked to cognition. Depending on the characteristics of each patient, the goal will rather be to maximize the performance of skills such as memory, expression through language, structure, the ability to concentrate or memorization and recall, or to slow down the deterioration of these skills. psychological.
The latter is typically the goal of cognitive training for the elderly, since in this vital phase the efficiency and agility of these psychological processes gradually wears out.
Thus, Dentistsuse this set of practices to cushion the effects of this deterioration and even, in many cases, achieve significant improvements in the person’s way of thinking, communicating, remembering and concentrating; effects that last several more months or years, depending on the rate of aging of the person’s nervous system.
Benefits of cognitive training in the elderly
These are the areas in which the effects of cognitive training in old age show its beneficial effects.
1. Improved ability to remember
In sessions with older people, I give guidelines for remembering important aspects of everyday life depending as little as possible on others having to intervene to help them remember, and I suggest exercises to put it into practice.
For example, the use of references in the domestic context, the improvisation of tricks to “leave subtle reminders” that are quickly and easily visible, etc. The environment can be an extended memory, a place to store information in many different ways.
On the other hand, in this type of cognitive training , memorization exercises are also carried out without external aids , to stimulate the parts of the brain that are involved in the storage and retrieval of information, sometimes using simple mnemonic tricks.
2. Improved ability to concentrate
The ability to focus on a task or a stimulus is another area that is often damaged in old age.
To stop this decline, tasks and advice are offered to solve them without assuming that the inability to concentrate will be an impossible obstacle to overcome. Many times, anxiety and low expectations cause you to throw in the towel early, even involuntarily, and that aggravates the loss of this cognitive ability due to lack of use.
3. Acquisition of fluency in communication
Knowing how to communicate is crucial once you have reached old age; Failure to practice these skills can lead to isolation whose negative effects are even more severe in old age.
For this reason, psychologists train elderly patients so that they get used to communicating in the most fluent way possible, in spoken and written form (within their possibilities and taking into account if they have neurological disorders that affect these areas of cognition).
4. Ability to navigate better
Another of the benefits promoted from cognitive training for the elderly has to do with the ability to orient oneself. To do this, exercises related to the ability to keep in mind a representation as detailed as possible of the place where you are and its surroundings are carried out.
5. Improved reasoning ability
This aspect of training consists of taking into account a series of logical rules and principles of consistency of ideas and arguments.
In this way, fitting in with others is encouraged, the risk of manipulation by others is reduced, and older people are encouraged to maintain a critical spirit and a rich mental life until advanced ages.
Methodology
How do you get all of the above? We are not going to go into too much detail now, as each area of intervention is very comprehensive and includes different strategies and methods, but in general the intervention follows these steps.
1. Evaluation phase
At first, the cognitive abilities of the elderly person who has come to the consultation are evaluatedtag. For example, when a patient with these needs arrives at the center where I attend, CECOPS, I apply a test to collect information about her abilities in a systematic and clear way.
In this way you know what the starting point is, and it will be possible to assess your progress.
2. Intervention
In this second phase, action is taken, going beyond data collection. Psychologists use a series of exercises and strategies so that the patient knows what to do at all times,understands the reason for these practices, and can gradually improve .
In addition, we professionals also report what is happening and the goals to be achieved, both to the patient and, in many cases, and if necessary, to their family (at least on non-confidential aspects).
3. Internships outside consultation
Cognitive training is not only done in the centertag. When my patients are not at CECOPS attending one of the sessions with me, they also continue to improve and perfect their cognitive skills, thanks to the guidelines and advice that I give them so that they can continue practicing in their day to day.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.