Grandmothers Slow Cognitive Aging by Caring for Grandkids Once a Week

As people age, cognitive abilities will slowly begin to decline. Yet a recent study shows how grandparents' participation in their grandchildren's lives (in moderation, of course) can serve as a mentally stimulating task to help lessen mental slumps.

"We know that older women who are socially engaged have better cognitive function and a lower risk of developing dementia later, but too much of a good thing just might be bad," said Executive Director of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Margery Gass, MD, via a press release. 

For the study, researchers examined 186 Australian women involved in the Women's Healthy Aging Project study, all between the ages of 57 and 68. Three different tests measured their mental sharpness, 120 of whom were grandmothers. They were also questioned regarding the burden their children put on their lives. 

Findings showed that the women who cared for their grandchildren once a week had higher scores on two out of the three tests when compared to other groups.  However, findings also showed that grandmothers who spent five or more days with their children scored lowest on one out of the three tests that measured working memory and mental processing speed.

To add to that, grandmothers who cared for their children more often typically said they felt more pressure from their children to provide and care for other family members.

"Because grandmothering is such an important and common social role for postmenopausal women, we need to know more about its effects on their future health," Dr. Gass adds, via the release. "This study is a good start."

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More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Menopause.