Everyone has the occasional "senior moment." Maybe you've gone into the kitchen and can't remember why, or can't recall a familiar name during a conversation. Memory lapses can occur at any age, but aging alone is generally not a cause of cognitive decline. When significant memory loss occurs among older people, it is generally not due to aging but to organic disorders, brain injury, or neurological illness. Studies have shown that you can help prevent cognitive decline and reduce the risk of dementia with some basic good health habits: staying physically active getting enough sleep not smoking having good social connections limiting alcohol to one drink a day eating a balanced diet low in