We all want to maintain our brainpower for as long as possible. If you are caring for a family member who already has memory problems, you may feel especially at risk.

The good news is that, regardless of age, simple changes in lifestyle can help keep a brain strong and resilient. The key ingredient is exercise for the mind and body.

Although adults can’t make new brain cells, we can make new neurons. Neurons are the connections between brain cells. And mental exercise sparks the creation of new neural connections. With more connections, the brain has back-up options, or “cognitive reserve.” And cognitive reserve helps a brain do better for longer.

Is a “brain game” the best exercise to help preserve clear thinking? Not necessarily. Brain games improve a person’s ability to do specific tasks, but they have not been proven to enhance a person’s ability to navigate the complexity of everyday life.

Instead, engage in mental activities that stimulate the brain to think in new ways. Consider these options:

* Volunteering, playing games, and doing crafts
* Attending lectures, theater, or musical events
* Reading, writing, and searching the Internet

What you want to avoid is repetition, and hours in front of the TV. The goal is novelty and challenge!

Physical exercise is also important. Research shows that people who are physically active stay “with it” longer. Aerobic activities such as walking, biking, and swimming increase blood flow, which supports the development of new neural connections. As with mental exercise, the upshot is lower risk for mental decline.

Beware of products that promise to delay or prevent diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Research has not yet discovered any “magic pill” or strategy. Instead, scientists encourage a focus on overall health, keeping blood pressure and blood sugar in check, and getting plenty of physical and mental stimulation.

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Estate Plan Review Averts Potential Heartache

Shortly after her divorce in 2002, Tracy¹ made a will to name a guardian for her 11-year-old son and set up a trust to provide for his future financial needs. “I wanted to make sure my son would be taken care of, my debts would be paid off and my money would go where it was supposed to go,” Tracy explains.

Time to Update
In 2008, Tracy began a new job. In the process, she rolled over a 401(k) into an IRA and filled out life insurance and retirement beneficiary forms at her new place of employment. With her son now nearing adulthood, Tracy felt it was time to look over her existing plans.

Tracy met with estate planning attorney Johni Hays, and, together, they discussed her old will, her current assets and her future goals. While the 45-minute conversation was simple and relaxed, what they discovered will save Tracy’s son from future problems and offers Tracy true peace of mind.

4 Estate Planning Must-Haves for Single Parents
1. Will (to name a guardian) with a trust (to handle the money)
2. Durable power of attorney
3. Health care power of attorney
4. Living will

Issues That Caused Concern

1. Tracy had her younger brother listed as trustee and guardian of her teenage son. She did not, however, have a backup listed if her brother did not survive her.
2. For executors of her will, Tracy listed her brother, who lives out of state, and her father. Because at least one executor must be in state, according to the state law where Tracy lived, Tracy needed a backup for her brother in case her father should predecease her.
3. Tracy had a financial power of attorney in place, but she lacked a power of attorney for health care and a living will to take care of future health care wishes.
4. Of greatest concern, Tracy had filled out her beneficiary forms incorrectly on her life insurance and retirement plan assets—the bulk of her estate. Instead of putting the trustee of her son’s trust as beneficiary, which would distribute payments to him at ages 25, 30 and 35, Tracy had listed her son as beneficiary. As a result, he could receive the full amount when he turned 18, a much younger age than Tracy wished for him to receive a large inheritance.

The Solutions
Hays was able to amend the will with a codicil and draft the other needed documents. To correct Tracy’s beneficiary designations, she requested change of beneficiary forms for her IRAs and her life insurance.

“Tracy’s case is the perfect example of how you need to coordinate your whole estate plan, and that includes more than just a will,” Hays says. Tracy is thrilled she took the time to update her plans.

	To make sure your plans are in order, request our FREE guide to estate planning.

¹Although this article is based on a real-life example, the name has been changed to protect privacy.

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