In the news

Flu season isn’t over yet!

We’re still a couple of months away from the end of the flu season, but the virus doesn’t play by the rules! Although the official end of the season is in May, infections and deaths from influenza occur year-round. We may not have reached the peak of the season yet.

There is no substitute for the flu vaccine and it’s not too late to get yours if you have not yet done so.

At least four children have died from influenza so far. The best reason for YOUR flu shot may be to protect a child, grandchild or a visitor’s child.

Lifestyle

Another step to prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease: go back to school

       Not only is it never too late to learn something new, but putting your brain back to work could give you several more years of clear thinking and a better memory.

Become bilingual: research over the past decade shows that those who speak a second language can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease by about SIX years. Those who know three languages can extend it even longer.

The good news – it doesn’t matter when you start!

If you are musically inclined – but especially if you’re not – taking up a new instrument also delays the dreaded dementia. And make it a different instrument. If you played the piano as a kid, learn the guitar; if you played a wind instrument back then, learn a keyboard instrument now.

Puzzles, games, a new craft hobby or a new genre of books all contribute to the establishment of new brain connections. But it’s important to engage in these activities on a regular, i.e., several times a week, basis.