The 105-year-old Levack, Ont., woman spends Tuesday afternoons in town playing cards with her friends at the golden age club, often bringing home-baked treats to share with her friends. Charlebois is an avid reader and loves to sew. She makes hats for babies at the nearby hospital — having picked up knitting as a new hobby when she was 100 years old.
Angela Roberts is the Canadian research lead on an international study looking to uncover what contributes to the long, healthy lives of “super agers” like Charlebois — defined as people 80 and older that have the memory of someone 20 to 30 years younger. “We see this depth of social connection as perhaps being a defining piece of exceptional cognitive aging, and indeed that aligns with research that shows that social isolation is harmful in aging and can lead to dementia and contribute to cognitive decline.”
Roberts said while there is much that scientists still don't know, researchers are considering hypotheses that explore why certain people are biologically predisposed to strong social connection. He set the phone down before promptly returning to the call, playing a tune in a deep tenor vibrato. The cello is one of seven instruments Cooper plays.
"We had to move. Nobody up there would help us because we were mixed marriage," he said, referring to the fact that his father was Anglican and his mother was Catholic. Roberts said it's very common for super agers to show great resilience in the face of life's challenges and losses. He said he gets asked about his secrets for a long life. "I say: don't walk slow, walk fast. And do a lot of singing. And learn a new language. I don't care what language you learn, but learn a new language and keep your mind active. Always read."