A recent New York Times blog post addressed a common concern for our clients and the aging population generally: memory loss. Many of us are aware that over time, cognitive function can decline — the author refers to this trend as “retrieval disorder” and reminds us that to a large extent, a delay or lapse in remembering certain events or occurrences is normal. Bearing this in mind, it is also important to know when issues remembering may be out of the ordinary and potentially sign of something more serious. For example, as the author points out, we can probably all relate to forgetting where we parked our car, but when we forget what our car looks like, that is cause for concern and a signal that a call to our doctor is a good idea.
Another big takeaway from the post is that there are things we can all be doing now to prevent the likelihood of cognitive decline in our future, including physical exercise, maintaining a healthy diet, and remaining cognitively engaged and challenged. In addition to those activities, a conversation around the possibility of cognitive decline is a good reminder of how important it is that we all have our basic estate planning documents in order: most importantly, a current durable power of attorney and a health care proxy, in the event that we do suffer from cognitive decline or impairment at some point in the future.
To read the full article, visit: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/05/04/as-we-age-keys-to-remembering-where-the-keys-are/?ref=topics&_r=0
Sincerely,
Ashley Aubuchon