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Show AARP By Elizabeth Goode Express Writer AARP Utah presented "Staying Sharp, a public forum on the brain in the second half of our lives" at the Golden Age Center on Saturday. Local coordinators were Glenda Brown, Jean Klein and Pat Burdick. Carolyn Hunter, from AARP Utah, served as the emcee. Presenters were Ramona 0. Hopkins, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Brigham Young University, and Robert D. Hill, Ph.D., ABPP, Author of the book Positive Aging; Chair of Department of Educational Psychology, University of Utah, Both are experts on brain research and brought out good things about the aging brain. They were impressed with the number of people who turned out for the forum in Vernal. "We were expecting a handful of people around a table," said Dr. Hill. More than 200 attended the event. "We are in a revolution," he said. "There are now 70,000 centurinarians, and that will triple in the next few years. Average life expectancy is now 78 or 79, but in a survey taken of students recently, many of them expect to live to be 90. Early focus of research on the aging brain was on what goes wrong, but we are now studying good things about the aging brain. Some functions improve with age, such as emotional control." "We do make new brain, cells," Dr. Hopkins stated. "They are changing with aging and development, but as long as we are active, the cells stay there. Exercise slows the progression of negative Dr. Robert Hill and Dr. Ramona Hopkins provided information on brain fitness at the AARP workshop on "Staying Sharp." Jon L. Montgomery Agent 25 West Main 789-8500 FARM E RS WE WANT TO MAKE YOU A LOAN! $100. $3,000. NO CHECKING ACCOUNT NEEDED USUALLY 30 MINUTE SERVICE Exclusive Listing ms leads workshop on how to stay sha physical changes to the brain and keeps it healthy. Research is constantly being done to prevent brain injury, strokes, and other health problems that are bad for the brain, and it is also focusing on trying to keep you healthy. If you are physically active, interacting socially through your church, senior center or other organizations, you stay connected because you are less isolated." "Don't worry about little slips such as forgetting the 'normal things,' like your glasses or where your car is parked," Dr. Hopkins continued. "If you know you forget, you are probably okay. It becomes serious when the individual is not aware he or she is having memory problems, but family and friends notice it. There are medications to slow the progression of dementia." Dr. Hill talked about evidence that positive engagement builds or preserves mental functioning. Volunteering, is one way to interact in a positive way. Doing things that exercise the brain, like crossword, scramble or sudoku puzzles, the 'use it or lose it' concept, work on the cognitive portion of the brain. Social interaction requires skills and abilities that preserve the cognitive function. "Social interaction involves interacting with people, not the television set," he noted. "We are here to learn. Curiosity preserves mental functioning," he said. "When we are no longer curious, we lose a lot. When we are in our working years, there is not a lot of extra time, but after 60, we can take the time to What Is A Customer? . Author Unknown A customer is the most important person in any business. A customer is not dependent on us. We are dependent on them. A customer is not an interruption of our work. They are the purpose of it. A customer does us a favor when they come in. We arent doing them a favor by waiting on them. A customer is an essential part of our business, not an outsider. A customer is not just money in the cash register. They are a human being with feelings, and they deserve to be treated with respect. A customer is a person who comes to us with their needs and their wants. It is our job to fulfill them. A customer deserves the most courteous attention we can give them. They are the Ntebtood of this and every business. Without them we would have to close our doors and we should never forget it! The Montgomery agency would like to give our customers a friendly reminder that we sincerely appreciate their business. It is an honor to serve you! We would also like to extend a warm welcome to all of the other good people in the area that we havent had the ofjportunity to serve Please call us today for a free vahje comparison! 74 East Main St Suite 5 Vernal, Utah (435) 781-4970 Well maintained condo 2 bedroom, 1 172 bath $112000 Call Karen Laub 828-0204 or 781-2500 explore." Depression does not result from aging, but when interaction is cut off, an individual becomes isolated and depressions often results. "Depression from isolation is more common in men than . women," 'said Dr. Hopkins. "When they retire, men may become disengaged. When this occurs, you should go to the doctor, and get involved with other people." There are also other effective treatments. Multi-generational families seem to increase the life span and condition of the older family members. "There is a sense of sharing their wisdom, of giving back," commented Dr. Hopkins. Retirement doesn't mean "I deserve to sit," the researchers agreed. Hobbies, second jobs, volunteering all help the individual to do more than sit back and watch TV. Being engaged helps individuals to realize that there is something to do when there is nothing to do. "It is not how long will I live, but how long will I live well?" explained Dr. Hill. "Our environment and stress both affect how we think and remember," Dr. Hill related. "It was mmmmmmwi ml r tbUB yam llrir3SLMLM A Health family's li , WHS mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmJk Vernal Express interesting to learn in a study that when readers were given news stories about the decline of attributes, their comprehension grew worse. However, when they read about improvement, their comprehension was maintained." Both researchers spoke about multi-tasking. "Few of us multi-task well at any age," said Dr. Hopkins. "It is better to concentrate, and in the long run that has been proven to be more efficient and you finish sooner." "In the Netherlands, where I spent a year," commented Dr. Hill regarding multitasking, multi-tasking, "it was illegal to talk on a cell phone and drive." The national average has shown that women traditionally live longer than men in the United States. "Both are increasing, and men are catching up. There is less difference in some countries," Dr. Hill said. "In the United States, someday men will probably have about the same life span as women." "Volunteering and positive behavior have been linked to longevity," he said. ""The pursuit of living well, being happy and optimistic are skills to cultivate." Brent Drown Chevrolet 2125 N. UNIV PKWY PR0V0 866-443-5070 Savings Account (HSA) medical expenses. With savings account lets covered. setting ii Mi v'-tfW:. "V.--- M Nv4 111,! , I . , 4 " ' W -MW-.H'iy' " t: . S its. f ; it l Md J a-At 'fm 4 I v ' .. ! iniiiii 1 1 1 - t yi it i - To encourage eating right to stay sharp, AARP Utah served a hearty, healthy lunch to those who participated in the workshop. THE do REVDUJTION F MONDAY - SATURDAY i 8:30am - 9:00pm I www.brentbrownauto.com is a simple, secure way to contributions from you or you plan - and relax - knowing that your health needs For more information about up an HSA, come see us at Independent tyand Valley Jsfational Bank 121 West Main Vernal. 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