Research confirms Reality

Research is the primary discipline of the U.S.A. Institute of Ageing, communicating with the public and the caring professions its ultimate aim. I have been looking at a summary of their recent study released last month by the American Journal of Public Health which suggests that an active social life may keep memory loss at bay.

I would have thought that was rather obvious. There is a lot of controversy in the U.K. just now about the standard of care in homes looking after the elderly. I have visited three such homes recently, two of which felt too much like the old institutions I met many years ago, with people sitting in a room silently staring at each other, moving out of their captive chairs only to go to the toilet or the next meal. As I talked to some of the residents, they came to life and interacted with each other.

Karen Ertel, a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University’s Society, led this research and her team concluded that people with an active social life may be more likely to engage in other activities, such as exercise, which improve their overall health, and they ‘suspect social contact could influence hormones that benefit or stimulate the brain in a way that creates a buffer against mental decline’. Conversely the research found that single people of 50 years and over who didn’t meet with family or friends every week had twice the memory loss of those who are more socially active.

Karen Ertel says that her study ‘adds to a body of literature that really is showing pretty strong support that social activity and engagement may have a protective effect on cognitive decline’ although she warns, further research is needed to make any definitive conclusions.

I don’t think I need any further research. A systematic study can sometimes confirm an instinctive and logical supposition, for, as you get older, the reality is that holding on to memory can be a painful business and too easily can become a lonely affair. My wife and I said the other day that we really do need each other, because what the one forgets the other often remembers!

Socialising can therefore sometimes be embarrassing as you stumble for the right word, but it’s a risk worth taking and you can almost feel the adrenaline pumping in as your mind opens up, your memory is refreshed and you rejoin the wider communities of care and love that, as social contacts become more difficult to make and maintain, you may otherwise feel estranged from.

B.R.

The Oldest Man in Britain

Henry William Allingham celebrated his 112th birthday a few days ago, and there has been a lot of coverage in the media to mark the event. As the years have passed Allingham has himself become a celebrity. He is the oldest surviving member of the British armed forces and holds the record for being Europe's oldest living man as well as being the joint second-oldest living man in the world. In June 2008 he was verified as one of the 20 oldest people in the world.

Since 2001 he has become the face of the World War I Veterans Association and makes frequent public appearances to ensure that the horrors of World War I are not forgotten. He is the recipient of many awards and honours, and between his 110th and 111th birthdays made over 60 public appearances. Years after his wife died, he lived on his own, but then in May 2006, one month before his 110th birthday and with failing eyesight, he moved to St Dunstan's near Brighton, a charity for blind ex-service personnel.

His general health is apparently good, although sometimes he is confined to a wheelchair. Visitors remark on the quality of his memory and the fluency of his voice (there is an interview with him on U Tube). Between his 110th and 111th birthdays, he made over 60 public appearances, many of them associated with ceremonies of remembrance. He celebrated his 112th birthday with members of his family at RAF Cranwell, being the guest of honour at a luncheon at the College. During the day the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight performed a flypast, which was followed by an acrobatic display from two aircraft, both of which he greatly enjoyed. His war record makes him famous, but it’s his longevity that brings distinction to it. He seems to relish being so old, and has the advantage of immense emotional and practical support denied to many old people.

I have no ambition to equal his record. Eighty plus will be enough for me. I was talking to someone this afternoon. ‘I am 90’, she said. I asked her what it felt like to be 90. ‘I don’t think about it’, she said. Which is probably good advice. And makes these blogs redundant!

B.R.