Cognitive processes refer to a number of tasks the brain does
continuously. They are procedures in charge of processing all the
information we receive from the environment. A harmonious
interaction between cognitive processes is fundamental so that we
can analyze reality adequately and adapt to it.
A variety of factors can cause cumulative damage to the brain
with age and produce cognitive impairments. These factors include
damage to the brain due to cerebral ischemia, head trauma, toxins
such as alcohol, excess stress hormones, or the development of a
degenerative dementia such as AD.
Attentional deficits can have a significant impact on an older
person’s ability to function adequately and independently in
everyday life. One important aspect of daily functioning affected
by attentional problems is driving, an activity that, for many
older people, is essential to independence. Driving requires a
constant switching of attention in response to environmental
contingencies. Attention must be divided between driving,
monitoring the environment, and sorting out relevant from
irrelevant stimuli in a cluttered visual array.
Older adults exhibit significant deficits in tasks that involve
active manipulation, reorganization, or integration of the contents
of working memory.
Please specify more details of the situations not
mentioned in the question