New research proves that while brain ageing is inevitable, brain decline is not. Research made on octogenarians who are “superagers” give exciting new evidence to how we perceive geriatric care and mental health.

It has become standard knowledge that old people forget things. The elderly are ascribed to pity and ill-concealed contempt. Almost gratuitously, we forgive these mental lapses because “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” However, a new group of older adults are challenging these assumptions. Case in point: Donald Tenbrunsel is an 89-year old with the cognitive age of a 25-year-old. Not only is Tenbrunsel a decade older than the average male life expectancy, but his brain is also as sharp as a millennial’s. He is part of a new group of “superagers” who assert that “typical” signs of ageing — such as being forgetful or not being able to learn new things —…