MINDRAMP PODCAST - FLOURISH AS YOU AGE

The Virtual Activity Design Program is based on MINDRAMP’s first-in-the-nation college course and textbook called Cognitive Activity Design. A major part of the text and course materials consists of descriptions and analyses of wonderful cognitively stimulating activities Roger designed for an Assisted Living Facility.  The rest of the podcasts in this section feature Roger describing a number of the most memorable and instructive activities. These case studies are then followed by analyses of the elements that made them effective in promoting brain health and mental engagement. These case studies do not use virtual communications mechanisms but offer a number of core principles that help enrich any kind of activity (live or virtual).  Support the showSupport our work to promote creative aging. Subscribe to the MINDRAMP Podcast.

Zoom has become increasingly popular and well known since the start of the C-19 stay-at-home orders went into place. It provides audio and video links between people and will display the images of the host and the guests on the screen. So, multiple people can simulate a live meeting or get-together using their virtual technology. MINDRAMP has made extensive use of Zoom’s virtual meeting capability to deliver classes and presentations to venues around the country. The presentations feature Roger and Michael zooming in from different locations on the west coast. Zoom allows the host to share whatever is on his or her computer screen, so it is possible to show images, charts, graphics and – most important for us – full PowerPoint presentations. Support the showSupport our work to promote creative aging. Subscribe to the MINDRAMP Podcast.

There are five important types of movement that affect our health and wellbeing. We need to exercise all of them to achieve optimum benefits. They are:  Aerobics StrengthFlexibilityBalance PostureIn this episode we focus on how we move (or don’t move) and how the nature of our movement affects the health and wellbeing of our brain. I use my own efforts to develop healthy movement habits and routines to explore why each of the areas mentioned above are needed to optimize our health and wellbeing. We explore how to find movement activities that are enjoyable and that combine as many of these components as possible. Physical Exercise and Movement Chapters" (When you access the podcast, scroll your cursor below the green lines to the chapter icon – a stack of three dots and horizontal lines. Click to reveal chapters. Then click on the chapter you want to hear.) Introduction My Wake-Up Call at Age 40Beyond AerobicsSlowing Age-Related DeclineWhy are Flexibility, Posture and Balance Important?Yoga: A Combinatorial WorkoutSumming Up The Main PointsConclusion.  Support the showSupport our work to promote creative aging. Subscribe to the MINDRAMP Podcast.

This special episode features clips from a radio interview conducted by Robin Gun for her radio show in Oklahoma city. MINDRAMP co-founders Roger Anunsen and Michael C. Patterson are featured monthly on Gunn's Oklahoma Senior Journal, discussing various aspects of positive aging and brain health. This episode focuses on MINDRAMP's Virtual Cognitive Activity Design project (VCAD), which MINDRAMP is now offering for free on our website at www.mindramp.or. The project is designed to help professional and family caregivers to continue serving older adults within the stay-at-home constraints imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. VCAD provides a system for design and implement engaging activities for older adults that: a) promote brain health, and b) take full advantage of virtual communication mechanisms like phones, radio, and virtual meetings on Zoom or Facetime.   Support the showSupport our work to promote creative aging. Subscribe to the MINDRAMP Podcast.

How are organizations that serve older adults keeping in touch and staying engaged with clients and prospects?  How are they using virtual communication methods to help their people cope with coronavirus induced cabin fever? This podcast episode pulls excerpts from a radio interview by host Robin Gunn on her Oklahoma Senior Journal radio program. Joining Robin by conference call are Julie David with Concordia Life Plan Community and Marilyn Olsen, Executive Director of Villages Oklahoma City along with Roger Anunsen and Michael C. Patterson from MINDRAMP Consulting.Support the showSupport our work to promote creative aging. Subscribe to the MINDRAMP Podcast.

Cabin Fever may be a useful metaphor for the psychological impact of staying at home and social distancing during the COVID-19 epidemic. The common symptoms of cabin fever are either being stir-crazy (agitation and irritability) or withdrawal and depression. In this podcast, MINDRAMP's co-founders discuss how their methods to promote brain health and mental flourishing can be useful in combatting the negative psychological effects of coronavirus cabin fever.  The podcast consists of excerpts from a radio interview Roger Anunsen and Michael C. Patterson had with Robin Gunn, editor of the Oklahoma Senior Journal and host of a weekly radio show in Oklahoma City. Support the showSupport our work to promote creative aging. Subscribe to the MINDRAMP Podcast.

One of MINDRAMP’s guiding principles is that effective interventions for multi-factorial conditions - like premature aging and dementia - require multi-factorial interventions. Decline, disease and debility are caused by multiple factors. Each one of the factors must be addressed, in combination, to have a significant impact on the health of your brain and the wellbeing of your mind. (See the episode on The CogWheels of Brain Health).Support the showSupport our work to promote creative aging. Subscribe to the MINDRAMP Podcast.

Art Kempf struggled with dementia and a loss of meaning until Roger and Art’s wife got him to a wear his navy uniform at a Tommy Dorsey concert during their salute to the military. Art’s patriot salute to the music transformed him and the people around him.  Support the showSupport our work to promote creative aging. Subscribe to the MINDRAMP Podcast.

Like the memory mining techniques, people’s reminiscences and reflections about their past lives can suggest topics for activities that help them to engage more fully with their present lives. Support the showSupport our work to promote creative aging. Subscribe to the MINDRAMP Podcast.

This episode explores a number of techniques that help you tap into people’s memories and reflections about past passions that, once rekindled, have the power to renew people’s spirits and get them re-engaged with the present. Support the showSupport our work to promote creative aging. Subscribe to the MINDRAMP Podcast.

Hiram was remote and withdrawn until Roger did some "memory mining" around their shared passion for baseball. As Hiram reminisced about his past a fascinating story about his past were revealed.Support the showSupport our work to promote creative aging. Subscribe to the MINDRAMP Podcast.

Roger Anunsen shares his thoughts about the brain health benefits of learning to savor life’s simple pleasures. Support the showSupport our work to promote creative aging. Subscribe to the MINDRAMP Podcast.

The simple act of watching a sunset was made special by encouraging mindfulness and being open to awe. Support the showSupport our work to promote creative aging. Subscribe to the MINDRAMP Podcast.

The Drag Race was a complex activity with many moving parts. But, activities don’t have to be complex to be successful. Often the simplest of activities can have a profound effect on participants.  Support the showSupport our work to promote creative aging. Subscribe to the MINDRAMP Podcast.

Every activity involves a beginning, a middle and an end. We often make full use of the activity time but fail to exploit the engagement opportunities available during the preparation stage and the afterglow stage. Learn how to milk all of the benefit you can out of your activities. Support the showSupport our work to promote creative aging. Subscribe to the MINDRAMP Podcast.

Roger Anunsen’s most effective programs started with a focus on the specific needs of a single individual and then expanded to engage and involve a much broader community. Support the showSupport our work to promote creative aging. Subscribe to the MINDRAMP Podcast.

Art Fiskitjohn was grumpy and withdrawn until Roger casually mentioned to him that Marge claimed she could beat him in a scooter race.  Learn how a community became energized around a drag race between three older residents of an Assisted Living Facility. Support the showSupport our work to promote creative aging. Subscribe to the MINDRAMP Podcast.

Roger Anunsen (co-founder of MINDRAMP) recently invented a virtual activity for Senior Living Communities called The Mystery Dish. It uses in-room food service to conduct an engaging guessing game about food that can involve everyone in the community. The idea is now being tested, in association with Executive Chef Darin Leonardson, in a number of communities. The Mystery Dish reminded Roger of two other food-based activities he invented as part of his research validated activity program called MemAerobics. All of these food-based ideas promote sensory acuity, mindfulness and fun.  Support the showSupport our work to promote creative aging. Subscribe to the MINDRAMP Podcast.

Zoom has become increasingly popular and well known since the start of the C-19 stay-at-home orders went into place. It provides audio and video links between people and will display the images of the host and the guests on the screen. So, multiple people can simulate a live meeting or get-together using their virtual technology.  MINDRAMP has made extensive use of Zoom’s virtual meeting capability to deliver classes and presentations to venues around the country. The presentations feature Roger and Michael zooming in from different locations on the west coast. Zoom allows the host to share whatever is on his or her computer screen, so it is possible to show images, charts, graphics and – most important for us – full PowerPoint presentations. Support the showSupport our work to promote creative aging. Subscribe to the MINDRAMP Podcast.

MINDRAMP has a long association with an organization called Well Connected (previously Senior Center Without Walls) which delivers a full curriculum of classes via the telephone. To a large extent, the audience is comprised of older adults who, for whatever reason, are confined to their own homes. Ironically, we are all experiencing the same restrictions due to the C-19 pandemic.  MINDRAMP’s brain health programs, delivered virtually via phone calls, we consistently among Well Connected’s most popular courses. In this podcast we share some of the best practices we learned about delivering audio only programs. In recent years, Well Connected has expanded from its base in California’s Bay Area to include the entire country. They now use the Zoom platform so that people can access classes using Zooms audio connections, or when possible, can include video as well.Support the showSupport our work to promote creative aging. Subscribe to the MINDRAMP Podcast.