According to research conducted by AARP in 2021 approximately 55% of Americans over the age of 45 are learning new things. “Lifelong learning” is a term that has been around for a while and generally refers to any continuing education that happens after formal education ends. Lifelong learning is voluntary, self-motivated and pursued for the purpose of personal and professional development. 

 
The benefits of lifelong learning have been well-established. Personal benefits, among many others, include self-fulfillment, better interpersonal relationships, and increased health. One aspect of health that continues to be studied is the linkage between continued learning and keeping our brain sharp as we age.

 
Cognitive Psychologist Scott Barry Kauffman explains that learning a new and challenging skills can help ward off dementia by strengthening entire networks in the brain. One form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive neurologic disorder that causes the brain to shrink (atrophy) and brain cells to die. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia and affects approximately 5.8 million people in the United States age 65 and older. A recent report published in the journal Neurology noted that while mental activity does not affect the biology of Alzheimer’s in any way, it can have a meaningful impact on symptoms, thus preserving quality of life. However, not all activities are created equal. Research has suggested that significant gains are more likely to occur with learning a new, and cognitively demanding skill.

 
Fortunately for Ohio residents there are a number of free and low-cost options for lifelong learning. We will be sharing some of them in some future blog posts.

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Planning for your future includes making sure your estate planning is up to date and reflects your wishes. Set up a free 15-minute consultation with one of our attorneys to to discuss your planning goals. Our law firm helps families with elder law planning, special needs planning, general estate planning and probate matters.

Thanks to Angela Ugran for writing this helpful series of blog posts.