Keeping Your Brain Healthy and Active

Several studies indicate life-long learning is good for seniors’ brain health and starting a new hobby or learning a skill late in life can help to boost a person’s memory. In one study from the University of Texas at Dallas, researchers found that older adults “who took on a new mentally challenging hobby saw a lasting increase in their memory skills.” They theorize that when seniors mentally challenge themselves with new skills such as playing an instrument, learning to operate a computer, or being taught to quilt, networks within the brain are being strengthened. 

Neurologists in another study from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland discovered that a lifelong pursuit of mentally challenging activities may actually help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Their findings suggest that older adults who frequently read, played mentally challenging games like chess, or engaged in other intellectually stimulating activities are less likely to have Alzheimer’s, which impacts millions of Americans.

Other research out of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School appear to support these findings. Their study relied on interviews as well as brain scans of participants, and findings indicate that seniors who have had a higher level of intellectual stimulation throughout the course of their lives, showed a marked delay in the onset of memory-related problems and other Alzheimer’s type symptoms. 

At MorningStar of Beaverton, we believe the human capacity to grow, to learn and to contribute is ageless, and feel it is our privilege to provide seniors an environment where they can be productive and engaged. Our Life Enrichment Team presents creative ways to stay active and enhance health and wellness, stimulate the brain and encourage connection. 

While we had to temporarily suspend group activities due to the coronavirus, as the nation slowly reopens, MorningStar is carefully following suit with each state’s phasing and pacing where our communities are located. Please visit the photo gallery on our website to see why when we say MorningStar of Beaverton is more like a resort community than an assisted living facility, we are not exaggerating.

MorningStar of Beaverton proudly provides the very best in senior living with our unique mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.” With a foundation built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve, we create a true home for residents amid a beautiful setting. Please contact us to discover why we are a step above an ordinary assisted living facility.