Describe cognitive functions that are maintained or improve in late adulthood. What aspects of aging contribute to them?

Cite examples on how to compensate older adults for age-related problems.

Language and verbal abilities, creativity, memory and problem-solving ability are all cognitive functions that improve or maintain in adulthood. The cognitive abilities of language and verbal functions such as reading comprehension are more likely to remain unchanged as these skills rely upon complex neural pathways that age less than other specialized areas such as motor coordination. The ability to solve problems remains stable as we age. Research has shown that older adults are able to perform just as well as young participants in tasks that require them use their learned responses.

Studies have found that while memory declines with age, it does not mean the person will lose their ability to remember. Instead, older people may overcome this by using compensatory techniques such as semantic clustering or elaborative code. Finally, creativity has been found to increase with age due to its reliance on accumulated knowledge and experience – something which seniors tend to possess in abundance. This cognitive ability is largely sustained by healthy lifestyle choices like regular exercise and mentally stimulating activities such as chess, or taking walks.