The Aging MindWhen to be concerned about cognitive decline.

A minister admonished one of his elderly church members. “Florence, at your age you should start thinking about the hereafter.”

“Oh, I do, Reverend,” she replied. “I go into the kitchen, the garage, the laundry room, and I think to myself, what am I here after?”

Most people who are past the half-century mark are worried about their “here after” episodes. They are fearful that these are harbingers of Alzheimer’s dementia. Add on a few uncomfortable moments where we blank out on our best friend’s name and then we are convinced that this is the beginning of the end.

A certain amount of memory loss is to be expected as we age.

Think of your memory as a big filing cabinet. At 20 you had memories of your family, school, top-40 songs and favorite movies. You could pull out those memories with ease. Now you have that cabinet jampacked with thick files about jobs, relationships, child rearing, caring for aging parents, decades of pop culture, etc. So when you have to reach in and pluck out the file for the name of that film you saw last week, it takes a minute to find it.

When should you worry about your memory? Start when your memory gaps interfere with day-to-day living, including your job or relationships. Here are three red flags.

Your conversation is halted as you struggle to find words for common objects, or you describe the object’s function instead of naming it.

You forget important appointments, bills or commitments. People are telling you, “You told me that before” or “I told you that already” on a regular

basis. It becomes apparent that you are repeating yourself.

Many things can interfere with your memory—including sleep deprivation, alcohol, stress and medications—that aren’t related to Alzheimer’s dementia.

If you or your family members have concerns, however, get a complete medical evaluation with blood work and brain imaging studies. You may find a reversible, treatable cause of memory loss.

Get in the Game

Playing brain games that emphasize solving puzzles—like video games and crosswords—can help you save brain cells or even grow new ones. Watch this 90-second video for more ways to keep your mind sharp as you age. Visit pmcvigor.com/braingames.