Goodwin House Inc. (GHI), a senior living and health care services organization in the National Capital Region, and the Maryland Department of Aging (MDoA) announced last week the launch of StrongerMemory in senior centers across Maryland in a statewide partnership. StrongerMemory, an innovative brain health program for older adults, is initially launching in Baltimore, Charles, Calvert, Cecil, Wicomico, St. Mary’s and Worcester counties.
“We are very excited to provide the StrongerMemory Program through many of the senior centers throughout the state of Maryland. We encourage everyone to avail themselves of this exciting cognitive support program,” said Rona E. Kramer, Maryland Secretary of Aging.
“We are honored to launch the StrongerMemory program in senior centers across the state of Maryland,” said GHI President and CEO Rob Liebreich. “Sharing my mother’s story and progress using StrongerMemory, and watching the program unfold to help thousands of older adults combat the impact of dementia has been rewarding, and we are eager for this proven brain health tool to be available to older adults in Maryland.”
Designed to help older adults alleviate symptoms of mild cognitive impairment and early-stage dementia, StrongerMemory was created by Liebreich in 2011 after observing his mother’s challenges with mild cognitive impairment. The proven curriculum, which was implemented for GHI residents in January 2020, consists of simple activities practiced daily to engage the working memory and trigger brain activity in the prefrontal cortex. Research indicates that participants who spend just 20 to 30 minutes a day engaged in simple reading, writing and math activities can experience stabilized or improved cognitive functions.
According to Maryland’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, ten percent of Maryland adults aged 44 and older have experienced symptoms of cognitive decline and ten percent of Maryland adults over 65 are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. One third of Maryland adults reporting cognitive decline needed to give up day to day household activities or chores as a result of confusion or memory loss.
The StrongerMemory launch in Maryland and the provision of supporting materials for senior centers in Maryland is funded by an MDoA grant. The StrongerMemory program material, which is available at no cost to anyone that wishes to obtain it, has been made possible through donations to the Goodwin House Foundation. The program material can be downloaded directly from the GHI website at https://www.goodwinhouse.org/stronger-memory/.
This press release was provided by the Maryland Department of Aging.