Finding
Americans are living longer than ever before, but cognitive decline threatens the quality of those last golden years. Now, new evidence suggests that where older adults live may help protect against dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
A trio of studies by Philippa Clarke of the Michigan Center on the Demography of Aging (MiCDA), Jessica Finlay and colleagues, shows that urban and suburban neighborhoods that provide opportunities for socialization, physical activity and intellectual stimulation may help preserve older adults’ cognitive health.
More information:
- Communities for cognitive aging: How neighborhoods may protect the cognitive health of older Americans, by Morgan Sherburne.
- Study: Can Neighborhood Social Infrastructure Modify Cognitive Function? A Mixed-Methods Study of Urban-Dwelling Aging Americans.
- Study: Neighborhood Active Aging Infrastructure and Cognitive Function: A Mixed-Methods Study of Older Americans.
- Study: Neighborhood Cognitive Amenities? A Mixed-Methods Study of Intellectually Stimulating Places and Cognitive Function Among Older Americans.