Introduction
The elderly suffer from loneliness due to their limited movements and declining abilities. Therefore, senior citizens are more exhilarated by enrolling in a school. In modern times, there has been a sharp upsurge in the number of elderly students who have headed back to school to pursue further education. There are numerous cognitive, emotional, and social advantages associated with old age schooling.
Without further ado, here are the reasons you should encourage your aging mother, father, aunts, uncles, grandmas, and grandpas to register for some classes.
• Financial security
Education equips the learner with new skills and opens their minds to new ideas. Although this applies to learners of all ages, elderly learners will gain new skills that will enable them to get employment past retirement age to ensure financial stability. Therefore, schooling will equip your loved ones with skills that are crucial in securing a job in the modern competitive market.
• Mental stimulation
Learning in old age is beneficial as it stimulates the neurological and cognitive cells in the body. Scholars and researchers claim that learning lifestyle keeps the learners active, thus slowing down cognitive impairments and delaying dementia syndrome associated with old age. Also, if the learning involves activities geared towards intellectual stimulation, the learner’s risk factor of developing Alzheimer’s disease – a brain cell degeneration disorder – is reduced.
• Fulfilling their goals
Some people put their dreams on hold during their younger years due to many challenges such as marriage commitments, employment commitments, and raising children. However, after retirement and children’s upbringing, they can get back to college to pursue or finish their dream course. Senior citizens now have the extra time, and thus, they can use it to efficiently study to get the degree they want. It is never too late; your aged loved ones can still achieve their goals if they wish to.
• Socialization
Old age is associated with isolation and loneliness. Therefore, going to school will help your aging loved ones to establish new relationships in the course of learning. They can attend classes specifically meant for seniors to interact with their fellow age mates. On the other hand, they can attend mixed classes whereby they will interact with younger people as well. A network of friends will offer them the much-needed companion and shield them from depression and isolation common during those stages.
• Exchange of knowledge and ideas
Learning is an interactive process, and therefore, your seniors can exchange ideas and words of wisdom with their younger classmates. They can hold discussions and educate younger learners by drawing examples from their life experiences. On the other hand, younger learners can also teach senior learners about emerging contemporary issues.
• Boosting memory
It is common knowledge that memories and cognitive abilities decline with age. However, researchers have found that seniors engage their brains actively in solving problems have a higher level of cognitive skills. Their memories are sharpened as they can read, understand, and easily remember what they read.
The human body requires regular exercise, and so does the brain. Therefore, engaging your brain in studying is a way of exercising it. The brain is kept active, and this increases memory skills. Senior citizens will improve their brain’s ability to retain memory through studies.
Final thought
They say age is just a number, and thus, I say it is never too late to go to class and pursue your dream. Your seniors can enroll for short courses or even a degree course after retirement. They have much free time and little or no commitments. Learning in old age is beneficial as it guarantees financial stability, improvement in the quality of life, and slowed aging. It also helps you create a new network of friends. Encourage your seniors to go back to school; after all, there is always something new to learn in this world.
