Optimizing cognitive interventions to improve real-world function for healthy older adults

Healthy aging requires acquiring new functional skills for adaptation in a dynamic environment. Cognitive interventions with older adults have largely focused on improving broad cognitive abilities, aiming for transfer to functional effects. By contrast, interventions focusing directly on acquiring new functional skills can address current real-world issues, including the need for reskilling and reducing the digital divide, especially for underserved communities. In doing so, we may better understand how aspects of age-related learning and cognitive and functional decline may be due to suboptimal learning circumstances rather than senescence. In this opinion paper, we highlight key aspects for designing long-lasting, real-world interventions to improve functional skills, and potentially transfer to cognitive effects, for older adults. This approach could help build more inclusive theories of cognitive aging, while progressing the field toward developing more effective and useful interventions.