A collection of slogans for cognitive health education for the elderly

This article has compiled a total of 87 directly reusable elderly cognitive health education propaganda slogans covering four categories: community science popularization, elderly care institutions, hospital clinics, and family education. It takes into account scientificity, popularity, and memory points, and is suitable for use in all scenarios such as posters, banners, short video oral broadcasts, and door-to-door propaganda. It also includes analysis of ideas and practical precautions of different propaganda schools to facilitate front-line practitioners to choose according to their needs.

I have been teaching cognitive intervention for the elderly for almost 7 years, and I have stepped into pitfalls half as tall as a person. When I first entered the industry, I took it for granted that the slogans I wrote were "Prevent cognitive impairment, improve the quality of life of the elderly," "Pay attention to the prevention and control of Alzheimer's disease, and build an age-friendly society." I hung it on the community bulletin board for half a month. I asked more than a dozen people passing by, but most of them didn't know what it said. One aunt said she thought it was a government notice and had nothing to do with her.

Later, I slowly found my way out. The more official and professional the slogan is, the better. It must be read, understood, and remembered by people. Oh, by the way, there are actually two different ways of thinking about slogans in the industry. There is no right or wrong, but they are suitable for different scenarios: one is the professional group that advocates destigmatization, and feels that standard terms such as "Alzheimer's disease" and "cognitive impairment" should be used directly to prevent people from hiding diseases and avoiding medical treatment, and to increase the awareness of the disease. ； The other group is the practical group that works on the front lines. They feel that many elderly people in China are naturally resistant to words like "disease" and "disorder", and even think that they are calling themselves "confused". Instead, they are more willing to accept mild expressions such as "brain-strengthening" and "good memory". It is not too late to attract people first, and then gradually popularize the science. When choosing a slogan, you can first look at your service scenario. For example, in a neurology clinic or a professional cognitive intervention center, it is suitable to use a more standardized expression. ； If you go to the community for universal screening or to engage in daily activities in a nursing home, the acceptance of the popular version will be much higher.

Let’s first talk about the ones commonly used outdoors in the community. They are usually banners and large-size posters. The words should be large and the content should be short. You can remember them after reading them once:

“The more you use your brain, the smarter it becomes, and the days become more beautiful as time passes.”

“Talk more and exercise more, and your memory will not give up.”

“Don’t force yourself to forget things, get checked early and get healthy early”

“Play chess and cards often and read more, so you won’t be confused when you get old.”

“Eat less oil, less salt and more fish, your mind will be clear and energetic”

“Do cognitive screening regularly to know your brain”

The last time we held an activity in a community in Chengdu, we changed the slogan to "Play more mahjong and set up dragon gate formations, and your brain will not be dim." The uncles and aunts were watching from a distance. There were twice as many people coming for screening that day than before. The effect of dialect adaptation is sometimes surprisingly good.

Then, it is used inside the nursing home. It should be close to the daily life of the elderly, and it is best to be linked to their daily life. It is suitable to be posted in the canteen, activity room, or corridor:

“Do finger exercises every day to slow cognitive decline”

“Eat three balanced meals and use your brain more, so you can live a worry-free life in your later years”

“Get together with old friends often, forget less and have more fun”

“Remember old friends, recognize old neighbors, your brain will always be useful”

“Participating in more group activities is more effective than taking brain supplements”

A nursing home I stayed in before had a sign on the door of the cafeteria that read, "Eat nuts and deep-sea fish often, and you will have a clear mind and can play chess." During that time, the hospital organized chess competitions every week. Many elderly people deliberately took a few extra bites of nuts when they ate, saying they wanted to beat Old Man Zhang next door, which was quite interesting.

The ones used in hospital clinics and professional cognitive centers should be more rigorous and provide reassurance to the elderly and their families:

“Mild forgetfulness is not natural aging, cognitive assessment would have known”

“Alzheimer’s disease is preventable and controllable, early diagnosis and early treatment are key”

“Standardize intervention in cognitive decline and effectively delay disease progression”

“Cognitive impairment is not an old fool, timely medical treatment can improve it”

“Families need to be more patient, and the elderly will have more peace of mind.”

They are also used for family education. Many family members regard the elderly forgetting things as "normal in old age", so such slogans should hit the pain points and remind them to pay attention:

“Don't treat the elderly who forget things as 'old fools'. Seeking medical attention promptly is the right way to go.”

“Spend more time chatting with your parents, it’s more effective than any health care products”

“Don’t blame the elderly when they can’t remember things. Patient guidance is more important.”

“Early attention to cognitive health makes the elderly feel comfortable and the whole family worry-free”

“Taking your parents for regular cognitive screening is the best gift for them in old age.”

It is suitable for oral broadcasting of short videos and online science popularization. There is no need to be too confrontational. Just be more colloquial and you can get the key points after listening to it once:

“Attention, uncles and aunties, don’t take your bad memory seriously. Early screening and early intervention can still help you take your baby to the park for a walk! ”

“One minute of brain exercise every day will improve your memory, eat well, and keep you in great shape! ”

“Pay attention to cognitive health in the elderly and don’t let your loved ones forget you”

“Does the elderly person in your family always forget things? Don't take it seriously, go to the hospital and get it checked out”

Oh, by the way, there are a few minefields that you must avoid: First, don’t use the four words "Alzheimer's", which are now clearly stigmatized expressions that need to be replaced. Even if it is a popular version of the slogan, try to use words such as "forgetfulness", "poor memory" and "cognitive decline", otherwise it will easily arouse resistance from the elderly.； The second is not to print the slogan too small. Old people have poor eyesight and can hardly see words smaller than size 3. Try to use bright colors such as red and yellow. Don’t use light gray or light blue, which will make it blurry from a distance. ； Third, if possible, add a small painting next to it, such as pictures of an old man playing chess, raising his grandson, or dancing in a square, which will be much more attractive than pure words.

After working as a missionary for so long, my biggest feeling is that slogans are never meant to make up numbers, nor are they more neat and elegant, the better. Even if you just write "Let's play the memory game and win eggs," as long as it attracts the elderly and is willing to listen to you tell a few words about cognitive health, then it is a good slogan. It is 10,000 times better than writing a dozen neat sentences but no one reads it. If you need slogans for specific scenes or dialects, you can also leave a message. I have collected many down-to-earth versions adapted from various places and can share them.