What new skill(s) can I learn at an older age to help stave off dementia?

[MoonDanceDiner]

My dear mum has advanced Alzheimer's disease. I have helped care for her for the last 5 years and watching this decline in my once vibrant and brightly spirited mum has left me terrified of this awful illness.

I know a lot of it is luck but time and time again I am reading the importance of learning new skills all the way through life to help stave off cognitive decline.

I am 52 and was diagnosed with inattentive adhd this year so I do have a short attention span. Annoyingly I bore of things very easily but I am determined to try new things.

What can I try that is easy to learn but somehow challenging enough to keep my brain active and building up some cognitive reserve for the future?

I am crap with numbers and hate maths but love arts and crafts, nature, history and geography. I love music with a passion and would have loved to have been able to play a musical instrument but I feel that ship has sailed and you really need to be naturally musically gifted like my FIL, he has never once had a lesson yet can play the piano and any keyboard with ease. I have always wanted to play the Ukulele.

I would have also liked to have been able to have spoken a different language but maybe that is a little bit challenging?

Crochet and embroidery is something I also love but again not sure if that is something I can simply pick up at in my 50's?

Oh, I also need to be able to do these things on the cheap as money is tight.

Well done for getting on the pills! Hopefully post op and with the pills you'll be able to do more.

So many good suggestions here, in terms of language learning i'd suggest Duolingo, it won't make you fluent but conversational, it's also in bite size chunks ten minutes a day and in your pocket. I agree with getting out and doing things but it's good for those days you've been caring and are too tired . My 6 year old is picking up German using it, so it's for complete novices too, I've used it to brush up on my Spanish and German which have been rusty for some time.
I'd also advocate a choir, I'm in a rock choir that's a lot more about fun and participation than talent, but we sound pretty good! I've also made good friends there

Komm mit Mir und Deutschen lernen

I think you can learn to do any of these things in your 50's or beyond. No reason not to get a Ukulele and learn using youtube, you don't have to be gifted or fill the albert hall just have fun learning. If you like arts and crafts then get a sketchbook and some pencils and do a drawing everyday, again youtube is a great resource as well as sites like domestika for cheap lessons in any art or craft you can imagine. Simply by drawing everyday you will be amazed by how quickly your skills come on.

Download duolingo and try any language you fancy. Also Crochet is ridiculously easy to do and if you find you enjoy textile arts then you could invest a bit more in embroidery threads etc.

My friends mum was a teacher and when she retired she took up various hobbies and now in her 80's is doing well as an artist painting and making stained glass there is a waiting list for her work is in such demand, she had no idea she was an artist until her 70's.

Try it all and see what sticks but remember when looking to stave off dementia you need to keep challenging yourself to learn new things and push your abilities further. Also keep up with a healthy lifestyle.

That’s gorgeous!! I’d love to make one of those. I know what you mean about reading. I also find when I do read if I find pace is too slow, I don’t finish a book.

Apologies if already suggested as haven't read every single post but I took up a martial art in my 40s having never done anything like that before. It has definitely used my brain in a different way and I've found it hard but also rewarding. I am never going to be amazing at it but I have got better over time which is really satisfying. No idea if there's any specific evidence for it in relation to cognitive decline but I am pleased I took the plunge.

Research has shown that physical exercise can reduce risk dementia by 20%

Lots of good suggestions here re keeping cognitively active, however sadly that won’t prevent dementia.

Current thinking is that the processes which eventually result in dementia start in middle age, addressing risk factors in 40’s and beyond will give the best ‘protection’.

Anything that promotes cardiovascular health also promotes longevity of brain health, so managing weight, bp, blood lipids, blood sugar.

Smoking is an absolute no no, and alcohol is far more damaging to the brain than previously thought- drinking at any level us toxic to the brain.

Exercise is protective.

Managing hearing loss with hearing aids seems to be important although researchers don’t fully understand why.

Staying socially active is important.

Given all the above I would try to take up an active hobby, doesn’t have to be high intensity but something where you need to walk or move around and which you need to focus on if just for short bursts.

Totally agree. I took up the piano in later life. No I'll never play the Albert Hall but I get a lot of satisfaction from learning and practising. It's always a challenge and great for your brain. It's very calming/mindful.

My piano teacher is really nice and I look forward to lessons. My teacher says he loves teaching older people because they really want to learn and aren't being made to by their parents!!

Duolingo can be done for free. You can choose almost any language and it is relatively fun and low commitment. You could choose a language you might use on holiday - Spanish, Greek, Italian, etc. It won’t make you fluent but it will give you a decent basic grounding in the rudiments of the language.

I am definitely going to try Duolingo. Dh and I are going to buying a motorhome next year with the intention of touring around Europe so a little understanding of the language will be a good idea.

I may just do that!

I do believe a lot of it is good/bad luck. My mum looked after herself, kept slim, never smoked or drank alcohol and exercised a lot but sadly still has dementia.

There is evidence that insomnia can contribute to dementia and poor mum suffered from years with lack of sleep and I make sure sleep is a priority for me and will try and sleep for a good 7-8 hours per night.

So I do all the same as mum did, I keep very healthy and active. I have always enjoyed keeping myself as fit as possible. I suppose we can only do what we can and keep our fingers crossed.

@MoonDanceDiner
I think you are right, there is a lot of luck around it. Just looking at this thread, one poster gave anecdotes of her relatives keeping sharp to an older age but that’s been counterbalanced by others who have done exactly the same but sadly now have dementia. My parents both did all the things people suggest , group ballroom dancing lessons where there were different steps learned (so social, brain and exercise), crosswords, local history, walks in their local woods but both ended up with dementia. I was angry for a while.

But, I think there is also the more general issue of age related decline and keeping ourselves physically fit, continuing to learn, being open to new experiences and keeping social all help to keep us sharp and healthy as we get older .

All the best to you and your family.

Country dancing...I remember reading an article about an Italian doctor intruding (I think) Irish Country dancing to his patients...something about the music being in 7/8th was very good for the brain?

I’ve read some sleeping tablets such as Zopiclone can contribute too.

I have read that also about some medication. I have some tablets which are to be taken occasionally for sickness and they can be a risk, plus there is an anti histamine that should be taken with care by over 65s for the same reason .

My mum (now 68) started learning Mandarin Chinese when she was 65. She just passed her HSK1 Exam and is thrilled! She finds it tough but is really committed to it. She felt really good passing it. Just once a week evening classes online.

You sound passionate about learning an instrument, so why not! Just because you didn’t learn it when you were much younger - don’t let that deter you. I think passing and enthusiasm can go such a long way in terms of motivation! All the best :)

I think it is chlorphenamine, @ShinyAppleDreamingOfTheSea that you have to be careful with. I understand loratidine is less of a risk. I am not a pharmacist or researcher though!

There is some evidence that many anticholinergic drugs including some anti-histamines and drugs like Amitriptyline can contribute to dementia. I have awful IBS and have been offered Amitriptyline many times but I just don't want to raise my risk any more than it already may be.

Just to say that I started Duolingo today. I am starting with french as I did a few years at school, so I have some basic knowledge. I am finding it quite enjoyable already.

I'm also doing French on duolingo! And chess.

I'm loving the french on Duolingo, been at it all evening.

Even if it helps you read a few bits when traveling it's really helpful. It might not mean you become fluent but it's fun and does increase what you understand.

I've never done french but did some before a holiday earlier this year and it made it feel less intimidating for the simplest of things.

I play ukulele, guitarlele and violin, I am middle aged and have learnt all instruments as an adult.

A lot of adults wrongly believe they are too old to learn and that is absalutely not true.

I also crochet and I am teaching myself to knit so the only thing you need for musical instruments is time and patience.

The same goes for knitting and crochet!

I play with score and have a large amount of repertoire to fall back on but use violin score for the guitarlele because I am training myself classically.

Its good for brain health as well as improvements between the neural connections of the left and right hemispheres.

You can learn instruments too, if you really want to its just a matter of will power.