Many people worry about aging physically, and therefore, take several steps to keep themselves fit. What they don’t realize is that it’s equally important to take care of the mind because as a person ages, the chances of developing a Cognitive Decline or a memory related disorder increases. In fact, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, a cognitive decline disorder, and the number is expected to reach an overwhelming 16 million by 2050. Though there is no surefire way to prevent cognitive decline, the odds of development can be reduced. The Cognitive therapeutics method is one such program administered by professionals that can help in keeping cognitive decline at bay. Continuing the discussion further, the blog post discusses the several aspects of the Cognitive Therapeutics Method. Take a look.
Why Cognitive Therapeutics Method
The Cognitive Therapeutics Method (CTM) is an activity-based cognitive stimulation program that assists the elderly to stay mentally active and sharp. Developed by the scientific division of the Home Care Assistance, the method aims to slow down cognitive decline and helps in other memory-related conditions that may deteriorate the quality of life at an old age. Only professional caregivers who have completed the required certifications are eligible to provide a home-based or clinical therapy. Enrolling for such a program greatly helps in:
- Slowing down cognitive decline in seniors and older adults
- Delaying the onset of Dementia and other memory-related disorders
- Building a routine that sticks for life
- Regaining confidence and providing a sense of accomplishment
- Socializing
The Difference Between CTM and Care Giving
Though most people think CTM and caregiving are same, they are quite different. The CTM is only a way of keeping older adults or people with a higher risk of developing dementia engaged through brain stimulating activities. In other words, the target area for CTM is strictly medical in nature. Caregiving, on the other hand, involves assisting dementia or cognitive decline patients with non-medical, routine activities such as cooking, bathing, commuting or taking care of their daily nutritional needs. All in all, caregiving only helps patients to lead a normal life despite experiencing a cognitive decline whereas CTM aims to either minimize the possibility of developing memory related disorders or at least, control their progressive nature.
The Purpose
Though no one can predict the time when exactly a person might experience a cognitive decline, the probability increases with age. Indulging in brain stimulating activities can help in minimizing the probability of developing memory related disorders at a later stage. The CTM program is not only beneficial for cognitive decline patients, but also for people who want to infuse conscious efforts in maintaining optimum level of brain activity. In a nutshell, a person can go for the program, even if they are mentally fit, and aren’t showing any signs of cognitive decline to be on the safer side.
The Five Primary Domains of the Mind
The program includes 20 different activities that not only target the memory, but also the primary domains of the mind including:
Executive Functioning
Involves several cognitive abilities such as reasoning, problem solving and judgement.Attention
In layman terms, attention can be defined as the ability of a person to focus on a task or situation without paying heed to any distractions.Visual-Spatial Perception
It can be defined as the ability to identify the precise location of a physical object and understand interrelation among a number of things.Language
Language covers basic abilities such as spontaneous speech, speech repetition, reading and writing.Memory
The ability to remember something and use it later.Wrap Up
Medical science is yet to find a permanent cure to cognitive decline and research is underway. Though there a medicines that claim to cure cognitive decline, most of them only help in slowing down the progression of cognitive decline or any other memory related disorder. The CTM method greatly helps in keeping the mind active, that helps in reducing the probability of a cognitive decline. The program can be implemented at home under the able guidance of professional caregivers.
