How To Exercise Our Brains This Year

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Now that COVID restrictions are lifting, many of our residents look forward to getting back out into the world and enjoying new activities. They might even feel stagnant after spending so much time alone and indoors.

Today we’ll look at an opportunity for our residents to get out and exercise their brains by taking free on-campus college classes. While you might think none of your nursing home residents could do this, it’s often possible with a bit of ingenuity. And you’ll find many residents of independent living or assisted living facilities who are very capable of attending and completing courses. You might even decide to join them!

Taking college courses offers a host of benefits for older adults, including:

• Meeting other people with similar interests
• Reduces loneliness and isolation
• Helps maintain cognitive function
• Learn new skills
• Enhances lifelong interests
• Improves mood
• Reduces boredom
• Experience a sense of accomplishment

You can find colleges in all 50 states, both public and private, offering free classes for older adults. Simply call the admissions department of a college near you for details. You’ll want to keep a few points in mind:

1. Ages vary depending on the college. Some offer free classes for people as young as 50, while others specify the age of 65 or older.
2. Some schools offer credits toward a degree, while at others you must audit the course.
3. Regular students usually have first dibs. Free spots for older adults become available only if space permits. This means you might not know until the last minute whether you’ll get in.
4. While the class itself is free, there may be other expenses such as books, class supplies, or fees.

For residents unable to attend classes in person, you can also check out MOOCs (Massive Online Open Classes) offered by universities. Most are free, although some offer a certificate or credits for a fee.

As an older adult, have you ever attended a free college class? Please share your experience!