It may not be an Olympic year, but Humana is still firing up some competition this summer.
Along with once again serving as the title sponsor of the biennial National Senior Games, the insurance giant is debuting a new virtual challenge tied to the event and dedicated to improving brain health in older adults.
The inaugural Humana Cognitive Games kicked off Monday and will continue through August 11. Though there are no official age restrictions on the event, it specifically targets seniors, with an aim of encouraging them to take a more active role in strengthening their cognition as they age, per Humana.
Participants can visit the Cognitive Games website and rack up points by playing brain-exercising games, reading educational content and taking polls and quizzes about brain health.
In the event’s launch announcement this week, Humana pointed to research positing that regular participation in such activities can reduce dementia risk. The payer also cited its own recent survey results showing that while the vast majority of seniors say they prioritize their health and independence, fewer than half are bolstering those priorities with consistent diet and exercise habits.
“Healthcare starts long before you step into a doctor’s office—it begins at home with daily choices we make to take care of our bodies and minds,” George Renaudin, Humana’s president of insurance, said in the announcement. “At Humana, we are committed to proactive, preventive care—from wellness checks and screenings to personal healthy habits—that can help improve health outcomes. Because for many Americans, true health means the freedom to live life on their own terms.”
The Cognitive Games offer a virtual, brain health-focused expansion of the National Senior Games far beyond its usual display of physical health. The latter Olympic-style event, which takes place over the course of about two weeks every other year, gathers more than 12,000 athletes aged 50 and up to compete in more than 25 sports. This year’s games will kick off in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 24.
Humana has served as the presenting sponsor for the last 10 National Senior Games, dating back to the 2007 event. This year’s event also counts GSK among its national sponsors, tied to the long-running “Sideline RSV” awareness campaign centered on educating older adults about the risks posed by respiratory syncytial virus.