When a Senior has a memory lapse, it is common to hear them say, “Oh I’m having a senior moment.” This is their nice way of saying, “I’m getting older, and my memory isn’t as good as it used to be.” But is that really true?
One thing to consider is that as we age, we accumulate more and more memories to store in our minds. Although we consider long-term memory to be unlimited storage, that doesn’t mean all those memories don’t make it crowded in there! So one reason that older adults may have a harder time recalling the word, phrase, or particular memory they are looking for is because they have MANY more memories in storage than young people do! Thus, it takes them longer to sort through all that information in their long-term memory.
Additionally, research has demonstrated that older adults (without dementia) actually do NOT have more memory lapses than young people do. The number of memory lapses is actually about the same! However, the two age groups explain their memory lapses differently. Whereas older adults blame their memory lapses on age, young adults simply report that the lapses were due to being distracted, overwhelmed, or failing to use a memory cue, such as a list or a reminder note.
So the next time you hear someone say they are having a “Senior Moment” take into account that it is probably just a normal memory lapse, and that it may be due in part to the large number of wonderful memories already in storage!
