Baby Boomer Insights

Having a "Senior Moment" or something else? Let's find a new name for these times that have nothing to do with being senior

I've been thinking about "senior moments" a lot this week, perhaps because I've been having a lot of them. First, let me say I think we need to find a new name for those times when we Boomers have a temporary lapse in memory, or we do something that shows not even a passing acquaintance with logic (like putting a wallet in the fridge). I'm thinking maybe we're undergoing "system maintenance."  After all, that's what the IT department calls it when they take the computer network down for a short time, rendering our processors temporarily unavailable.

I certainly find myself having  having more "system maintenance" moments since I turned 50. Just yesterday, in fact, I had two. First, I got dressed up on casual Friday, putting on a dressy fall jacket I hadn't worn yet this season. After admiring myself in the mirror, I hopped in the car and took off for work. The further I drove, the more uncomfortable I was. The cloth belt and buckle on the back of the jacket was digging into my back and making me crazy. When I got to where I was going, I got out and ran my hand along the back of my jacket to see if perhaps the buckle had gotten twisted. Imagine my surprise when a thick plastic coat hanger fell onto the ground!

That very afternoon when I got home, I noticed the trash can right in the middle of the driveway. I couldn't believe my husband had been so careless. He knows I like to coast right into the garage. Odder still, the garage door was already up, leading me to think he must be in the yard. So I blew the horn to summon him to move the can. No answer. Finally, I got out and rolled the can into the garage (fussing the entire time),.  As I was moving the can I said to myself, "Well, look at that! Ralph caulked the cracks in the driveway! That looks much better!" In synch with the last syllable, I felt my heel sink into fresh caulk. Now mind you, I still drove on into the garage without ever making the connection that the can was purposely placed to prevent me from doing exactly that!

As I entered the house, Ralph said, "I guess you saw I caulked the driveway and left the can out so you'd know not to drive into the garage." Oops.

These events got me to wondering if there were memory games available for Boomers, beyond the usual Solitaire. Sure enough, a quick Internet search revealed Senior Moments (With the clever ad tag, "You can't remember the last time you played a game like this!"). I also found Reminiscing, which advises right on the box top that you'll have a better chance of winning by selecting older players for your team. I like that.

The web site, Your Amazing Brain offers lots of games to test your memory and boost your memory skills. I bookmarked the site so I wouldn't forget where I found it. I'm going to try some of these exercises and see if they do any good. I'll let you know. But if I don't mention it again over the next several weeks, somebody remind me, please!

Meanwhile, let me know what you call your "senior moments."

Aging consumers seek games to improve memory, cognitive skills

We all know that physical activity can keep one's body in better shape and ward off illness. Now we're seeing an increasing focus on using mental aerobics to keep brains fit. Boomers and their parents are quickly lining up to take their brains for a run on the mental treadmill.

Often referred to as "brainercses" and "braintainment," the goal of various new mental workouts is to improve memory and keep cognitive skills in check. Jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, find-the hidden-word exercises, Sudoku, and other pencil-centric activities have long been embraced by aging consumers who believe these games keep them mentally alert.

These same consumers are now embracing tech games as an effective way to keep memory loss at bay. Nintendo has introduced Brain Age, a mix of word and math puzzles. Although developed by a neuroscientist,  the company markets the product as entertainment. Meanwhile, scientists at Posit Science came out with a Brain Fitness Program based on research conducted primarily in retirement communities.

Do these new games work? So far, there isn't enough research to prove that playing brain games will improve mental health, so companies that want to market brain trainers need to understand the implications of appearing to promise too much without the hard data to back it up. After all, Boomers in particular are quick to discount companies they feel are trying to pull one over on them. Their endorsement - or lack thereof - can make or break a product.

As far as I'm concerned, though, there's certainly no harm in trying these games. And as soon as I remember where I left my keys, I intend to get in my car and go buy a few games myself.