“It’s logical to think that when someone’s cognitive abilities break down, they are less likely to go out and meet friends, enjoy a camping trip, or participate in community clubs. If memory and thinking capabilities fail, socializing becomes difficult,” said lead researcher Bryan James, PhD, postdoctoral fellow in the epidemiology of aging and dementia in the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center. “But our findings suggest that social inactivity itself leads to cognitive impairments.”

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Higher levels of social activity decrease the risk of cognitive decline

via @z_benedict

The hardest part of what this article gets at is how to make that social interaction happen. It’s one thing to now have the knowledge and another thing to know you could do something about it if you tried. If you don’t try, do you feel somehow guilty about not doing what you could to extend someone’s quality of life? If you do try, will it be received? The unknown answers to either scenario often leave us immobilized.