MasterMinds! It's like signing up for a personal trainer at the gym, but it's for your brain, and it's free.
“Everybody worries about these kinds of memory lapses because dementia is a horrible disease,” explains community educator Veronna Ladd, MHA, “but most of the time these sorts of changes are just part of normal aging.”
Fortunately, scientific research confirms that there are ways to keep our brains functioning at the highest possible level as we grow older. So, for those who don’t have a cognitive function issue but want to maintain their highest cognitive functionality as they age, Community Health Napa Valley’s Alzheimer’s Resource Center now offers MasterMinds!
MasterMinds! is an evidence-based program based on the Total Brain Health model of leading cognitive wellness expert and author Dr. Cynthia Green. The model demonstrates the many
reasons why socialization is key for maintaining brain health. “Socialization employs nimble thinking, logic, and problem solving, and requires you to consider others’ perspectives. Doing
crossword and sudoku puzzles at home is good, but doesn’t meet our social needs,” says Veronna.
The six-week class covers the latest science on what it takes to boost short-term attention and memory and to promote long-term brain vitality. Each session includes activities that can be incorporated into a daily routine to help build cognitive fitness, as well as collaborative activities that boost everyday thinking skills and problem-solving.
“I equate MasterMinds! with going to the gym,” says Veronna. “As we age, we don't go to the gym to get ready for a marathon—we go to keep in shape. And that's the same with MasterMinds! The cortexes of our brains perform different functions, and in this program, we not only provide activities and exercises to work each of those cortexes, we cover the science behind each activity so participants can understand how it all works together. To keep building their strength, we provide activities participants can practice at home, which they love being able to do between sessions.”