{"id":3759,"date":"2023-09-01T09:53:30","date_gmt":"2023-09-01T13:53:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=3759"},"modified":"2026-02-01T14:40:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-01T19:40:30","slug":"cover-ellen-somers-giving-your-brain-a-boost-sjfs-assistant-director-focuses-on-cognitive-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=3759","title":{"rendered":"Cover: Ellen Somers – Giving your brain a boost, SJFS Assistant Director focuses on cognitive health"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Norah Machia<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

When she was 13 years old, Ellen Somers volunteered to visit with the elderly residents of a nearby nursing home. As she spent time interacting with them, she began to observe varying degrees of memory loss, and that experience stayed with her long after she left home for college.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always gravitated toward being around older adults,\u201d says Somers, who built a lifelong career working with the elderly population. She holds a master\u2019s degree in clinical psychology and a graduate certificate in gerontology and is a licensed mental health counselor.<\/span><\/p>\n

For nearly 30 years, her primary areas of interest have been in cognitive health and dementia care, and she has used those years of experience to help address the many different needs of older adults, including improving their brain health.<\/span><\/p>\n

Somers is the assistant director of the Syracuse Jewish Family Service, a nonprofit organization that serves older adults at Menorah Park in Dewitt, as well as those living in the community. Their services are available to anyone, regardless of faith. <\/span><\/p>\n

Menorah Park has a continuum of care community on its campus, which includes independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing and short-term rehabilitation facilities, as well as a medical adult day program and a group home for developmentally disabled women. SJFS offers a variety of brain health programs for Menorah Park residents across the spectrum, from those with healthy cognition to moderate dementia. <\/span><\/p>\n

The SJFS programs focus on helping individuals maintain their highest level of cognitive function to improve their quality of life. Several programs on the Menorah Park campus are open to the public, while the SJFS also provides home services in the community. <\/span><\/p>\n

Some people experience memory loss or other cognitive changes as the result of normal age-related changes, but more serious memory loss, or changes in language ability, thinking or reasoning, are typically the result of underlying conditions, such as Alzheimer\u2019s disease. Research findings have shown that \u201cwhile certain disease processes can\u2019t be reversed, there are ways to help people function at higher levels for as long as possible,\u201d says Somers. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Her passion lies in working directly with older adults and their family members across a variety of settings. In 2015, Somers was hired by SJFS to develop new cognitive health programs at a time when the organization had identified a local gap in care for people in the early stages of dementia. <\/span><\/p>\n

“SJFS decided to develop more services for the community with the backing of research that demonstrated the benefits of brain health programs,\u201d Somers says. \u201cThat was the beginning of our M-Power U program, which we developed as a learning community for people experiencing early memory loss.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Since then, SJFS has expanded its cognitive health group programs and supportive activities, including those that are educational and arts based. \u201cWe strongly believe in being responsive to the unique needs, interests, and strengths of participants,\u201d Somers says. <\/span><\/p>\n

The programs are designed to \u201chelp people with early memory loss stabilize their mood, feel good about themselves, and feel more confident in their ability to continue to learn and improve their daily activities,\u201d she says. <\/span><\/p>\n

While there is currently no cure for many diseases that affect brain function, including Alzheimer\u2019s and Parkinson\u2019s, \u201cthere are many avenues to helping people function better,\u201d Somers says. \u201cHope plays a critical role in motivating and empowering people to make changes that help maintain or improve their quality of life and feel better about themselves.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It may start with lifestyle changes that enable people with memory loss to function better in their environment. Family members can play a key role in helping set up those practical strategies, with professional guidance, says Somers.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, she spoke at length with the family of an elderly man to learn more about his past, including his career. Family members mentioned the man held a managerial role and always carried a small spiral notepad in his shirt pocket at work to write down ideas as they popped into his head. <\/span><\/p>\n

But the man stopped carrying a small notebook in his shirt pocket after he retired. Somers suggested having him restart carrying a notebook in his pocket to write down his thoughts before he forgot them. That small change had a good chance of success because it was a habit that he had practiced for decades, so it was a familiar one, she says. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou may have two older people with the same level of dementia, but just as with younger people, each person is different,\u201d Somers says. \u201cWhat works for one person may not work for the other. It\u2019s important to tap into the unique strengths and familiar routines of individuals.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s also critical to recognize the role mental health can play. \u201cJust being anxious can impair your brain function,\u201d she notes. \u201cYour response to the disease may have a big impact on your memory loss.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

People of all ages benefit from developing skills or practices to help calm themselves, because \u201cnobody functions well when they are anxious or depressed,\u201d Somers adds. Practices such as relaxed breathing and mindfulness are very useful to overall brain health.<\/span><\/p>\n

While it\u2019s normal to have changes in memory as people age, mild cognitive impairment can be more difficult to detect. Medicare covers an annual memory screening which can help develop a baseline for memory loss, says Somers. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cComparing yourself to yourself over time, rather than to others, is a more sensitive way\u201d of determining potential cognitive decline, especially in the very early stages when the changes may be quite subtle, Somers says. Any observations made by family members and friends could be shared with healthcare providers as well. If it would be uncomfortable or impractical to discuss specific concerns in the presence of an older adult, a letter could be sent prior to an appointment, she adds. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Several factors contribute to improving cognitive health, including novelty, variety and challenge. The goal is to develop cognitive reserve, or the capacity of the brain to be resilient in the face of damage caused by various conditions, Somers explains. <\/span><\/p>\n

This is achieved by strengthening and forming new connections between brain cells, through continuous new learning and application. The expression \u201cuse it or lose it\u201d may be a popular clich\u00e9, but it is one backed by research, Somers says. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen one pathway is damaged, alternative pathways can allow the brain to compensate and successfully perform certain functions, such as remembering things or finding the right word to express oneself,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s like having extra money in the bank that allows you to fix a leaky roof.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While adopting a brain fitness program is no guarantee that a person will never experience memory loss, research has shown it may help delay it, and \u201ckeep you healthier for a longer time while functioning at a higher level,\u201d Somers explains. \u201cThe earlier you adopt a brain-healthy lifestyle, the better, but it\u2019s never too late to improve, even in your 80s and 90s.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Adding challenges to your routine is another way to help the brain stay healthy. Improving brain health is no different than improving physical fitness, Somers explains. \u201cIf you start walking a mile, and it becomes easy for you, then you create a challenge by adding more miles, walking faster, or taking a different route with hills,\u201d she explains. <\/span><\/p>\n

Just as your body needs challenges to improve physical fitness, your brain needs to \u201csweat a bit\u201d to stay healthy, Somers says. For example, many people do crossword puzzles to keep their brains sharp. \u201cBut if you get really good at it and find they come easy, you need to either find harder crossword puzzles or try a different type of cognitively challenging activity,\u201d she explains. <\/span><\/p>\n

To maximize both physical and brain health, it\u2019s possible to add a cognitive challenge to physical activity. Starting a dance class or learning Tai Chi involves memorizing choreographed movements while participating in physical exercise. <\/span><\/p>\n

Somers notes there are many basic ways to incorporate cognitive challenges into a daily routine. This may be as simple as trying to memorize a grocery list before going into a store, and then putting that piece of paper (or phone) away in a pocket. Trying to recall those items on the list when walking down the aisles is a brain-boosting activity for any age, she adds.<\/span><\/p>\n

For more information: <\/span>www.sjfs.org<\/span><\/a><\/u><\/span> and <\/span>www.menorahparkofcny.com<\/a> <\/span><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Norah Machia When she was 13 years old, Ellen Somers volunteered to visit with the elderly residents of a nearby nursing home. As she spent time interacting with them, she began to observe varying degrees of memory loss, and that experience stayed with her long after she left home for college. \u201cI\u2019ve always gravitated…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3761,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1490,1489,1488,1486,1487],"class_list":["post-3759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-special-feature","tag-brain-health","tag-dementia","tag-menorah-park","tag-september-2023","tag-syracuse-jewish-family-service"],"gutentor_comment":0,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Ellen-Sommers-Syracuse-Woman-Magazine-0007-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1708&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2242,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=2242","url_meta":{"origin":3759,"position":0},"title":"INSPIRE: Two heart surgeries won\u2019t keep Anne Proppe off the roads","author":"Staff","date":"February 2, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"By Matthew Gutierrez In her early 50s, Anne Proppe gained about 40 pounds. 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