EPOCH Senior Living Launches Innovative Brain Fitness Program

Main Category: Seniors / Aging
Also Included In: Mental Health
Article Date: 07 Jul 2006 - 0:00 PDT

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EPOCH Senior Living, a regional provider of senior housing and health care, is introducing to its assisted living communities an innovative, scientifically-based program proven to enhance memory, listening and thinking skills in healthy older adults. EPOCH, which operates 14 senior living communities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, is the first company in New England to implement the Brain Fitness Program at all of its assisted living communities.

"We always look for programs and services that foster fitness, whether it is for mind, body or spirit," said Joanna Cormac-Burt, senior vice president, EPOCH Senior Living. "This program is cutting edge and we are fortunate we can offer it to our residents."

The Brain Fitness Program was developed by San Francisco-based Posit Science(TM) and a team of scientists lead by Dr. Michael Merzenich, a neuroscientist and professor at the University of California at San Francisco. The computer-based training program targets three factors that decline as we age, affecting our cognitive abilities:

- Brain processing speed

- Brain processing accuracy

- Stimulation of neuromodulators that produce chemicals that enhance focus, attention and memory.

"For seniors, loss of mental capabilities poses one of the biggest fears of the aging process. We are rolling this program out across our communities as interest is extremely high among residents," said Mary Atkinson, vice president, EPOCH Senior Living. "This program fits perfectly with EPOCH's philosophy to support our residents' overall well being through quality mental and physical fitness services, nutritional and social programs. Residents in the program have reported improved hearing, understanding abilities and listening skills."

Each EPOCH assisted living community offering the Brain Fitness Program has undergone extensive in-house training. Class size is restricted to four to five participants at one time, with two classes daily at each location. Residents progress through the program in eight weeks. EPOCH Assisted Living of Norton will graduate eight residents June 30 and EPOCH Assisted Living on the East Side in Providence will graduate 10 residents on July 20 from the Brain Fitness Program.

The Brain Fitness Program focuses on listening because so much of the information we process is received via speech. The Brain Fitness Program is comprised of six exercises performed on a computer using headphones. Each program adapts to the individual's needs, so every user is matched to the limits of their capabilities. The program has been scientifically validated in several studies, with participants seeing significant improvement in memory and alertness, and fine motor skills such as balance.

The first program exercise aims to improve brain function by retraining the brain to focus on subtle details of sounds. By retraining older adults how to better process incoming sounds, memory can be enhanced. The remaining five exercises of the Brain Fitness Program train mature adults how to better process progressively more complex speech elements, including phonemes, syllables, words, sentences and narratives.

Residents with no computer experience are able to complete these carefully designed exercises, which are geared to release neuromodulators such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine, chemical substances that stimulate brain activity.

About EPOCH Senior Living

Founded in 1997, EPOCH Senior Living is a regional provider of senior living options, offering independent and assisted living, skilled nursing and rehabilitation, memory care and hospice. EPOCH Senior Living is committed to providing residences that enable seniors to enjoy a comfortable and dignified lifestyle in gracious surroundings complemented by quality health care services that support each individual's needs.

EPOCH Senior Living
http://www.epochsl.com