Reduce Dementia Risk with These Lifestyle Choices
6 Lifestyle Choices to Reduce Dementia Risk including Alzheimer’s
Your risk of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia increases as you grow older, and these diseases are not as rare as you think. In fact, they are quite common. Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. and dementia affects approximately 47.5 million people all over the world. With these grim statistics, is there any sort of light at the end of the tunnel? The good news is that research has shown that making a few lifestyle changes can help reduce your chances of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s. Here are some ways you can help reduce your dementia risk:
- Keep Yourself Physically Fit
Whether it is strength training or exercises that build up your endurance, you need to get moving and keep yourself physically healthy and active. Various studies have shown that exercise can actually slow the deterioration of an aging brain and lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia. When you exercise regularly, you are less likely to experience a decline in your mental function, helping you to keep your thinking and reasoning skills lazer sharp. In addition, a little heart pumping exercise increases the flow of protective chemicals to your brain, fighting back against the natural decline in brain connections as you age.
2. Keep an Eye on Your Medical Health
Decline in cognitive functioning has been linked to a number of medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, depression, high cholesterol, head injury, and smoking. For example, heavy smokers are157 percent more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than non-smokers, and the increased insulin due to diabetescan cause harm via inflammation and subsequent damage to brain cells. Pay attention to your medical health and keep these conditions under control with proper treatment as recommended by your doctor. Quick tip: Although it’s tempting, don’t skip your annual check-up!
3. Eat Healthy
Following a wholesome and nutritious diet is key to improving your physical and mental health. As you grow old, numerous environmental and lifestyle factors can be damaging to your brain. This stress results in oxidation, which is a process that harms your brain cells. The best way to undo the harm caused by oxidation is to eat foods that have a higher concentration of antioxidants in them. Consume more fish, limit your red meat intake, and eat lots of fruits and vegetables to lower your risk of cognitive disease.
4. Enjoy an Active Social Life
Staying in touch with your loved ones and having engaging conversations with your friends can boost your mental health and ward off Alzheimer’s and dementia. While researchers aren’t certain why social interactionhas such a positive effect, the relationship is clear. In a study of 2,249 women, those with bigger social networks were 26 percent less likely to develop dementia. In addition, those who were in daily contact with friends and family cut their risk in half. Learn to treasure your relationships; as we get older it is so easy to let a day without keeping in touch with a friend turn to months or even years. Find a friend group and stick with it. On the plus side, you will all benefit, and who doesn’t love having someone they can depend on?
5. Engage in Mentally Stimulating Activities
Both Alzheimer’s disease and dementia affect your mental faculties, so it is very important to keep them sharp and active. Take up a new course, learn a new skill, or solve puzzles; perform any exercise or activity that works on improving your mental skills. Just like your muscles can atrophy without use, so can your cognitive functions. Decrease your dementia risk by engaging in mental exercises daily.
6. Take Some R&R
Poor sleep has been linked to the buildup of beta-amyloid plaque, which in turn has been associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Proper sleep is just as important as diet and mental stimulation, so incorporate methods to help you get the best sleep possible whether that is taking a warm bath before bed, using lotion in your favorite scent, or purchasing a sound motion to lull you to sleep with the sounds of the ocean or rain. Learning how to manage your stress can also help prevent the decline of cognitive function. Explore your options to find something you enjoy such as breathing, journaling, or gardening.
These lifestyle changes are pretty easy to incorporate into your daily life. Other than keeping your body healthy and lifting your mood, these choices may also help in reducing your dementia risk and Alzheimer’s. The years may be passing, but that doesn’t mean you have to stand idly by. Get out there and start moving, talking, relaxing, and playing – your brain will thank you later.
The Role of the Geriatric Care Manager – Smilecast 146
The truth is that you may need some professional help on your caregiving journey. Tara will share the role of the Geriatric Care Manager and how they can help your loved one save money and much more.
Read more about our expert – Tara Bradley, MACP
Tara is a at Bradley Consulting, LLC. She has provided Management, Coaching, Consulting there for over 7 years. She served as Director of HomeCare & Support Services for the Peninsula/South Bay office of the Institute on Aging. She co-founded Sesen Elder Care where she served as Partner, and Director of Client Care.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Strategies for Long Distant caregiving – Smilecast 145
Strategies for Long Distant Caregiving
You’re on the left coast. Mom on the right. Now what? You can’t move. So how do you care manage long distant caregiving? The support systems you need, the technology, the coordination can be overwhelming to handle. Amy will provide strategies to help you travel the caregiving miles in ease.
Read more about our expert – Amy Goyer. Amy Goyer, author of Juggling Life, Work and Caregiving, is a writer, speaker and consultant specializing in caregiving. She serves as AARP’s national Family and Caregiving Expert. A recognized media authority, she has provided interviews for all major print/broadcast media outlets, including appearances on The Doctors, Dr. Phil, the Today Show, Good Morning America and CBS This Morning.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Senior Activities – Senior and Music – Sharing Live Music Is Therapeutic
Senior Activities: 5 Reasons to Consider Sharing Live Music with the Elderly
Many in the aging services professions who work in senior activities are already aware of the power of music on healing and particularly with dementia patients. Many patients can remember and sing songs even in advanced stages, long after they’ve stopped recognizing names and faces.
Yet, even in this day and age, elders are often plopped in front of televisions in care homes and that is justified as an activity. Yet, there are so many benefits of incorporating music, particularly live music, in the lives of older adults and in senior activities.
Helps Recover Lost Memories
Care homes often use music as recreation since it brings residents pleasure. There’s growing evidence that listening to music can also help stimulate seemingly lost memories and even help maintain some cognitive functioning.
One study demonstrated that while singing, memories are produced that contribute to self-discovery, self-understanding and identity.
Remember how Glen Campbell came to life when he took the stage during his farewell tour, after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s?
Helps People Emerge from Isolation and Loneliness
In an Alzheimer’s Association newsletter, John Carpenter, founder of the world-renowned Rebecca Center for Music Therapy in New York, shared that listening to live music and being involved in live music-making experiences empowers people to emerge from the isolation imposed by dementia or simply from loneliness.
People who are connected this way are less depressed and more likely to engage in other meaningful activities.
One study showed that personalized music therapy may help decrease antipsychotic use and improve dementia symptoms in individuals with dementia.
Leads to a Rise in Mental Acuity
Another study has shown that the mental acuity of Alzheimer’s patients who regularly sang over a four-month period rose sharply. Another reason to incorporate it into your senior activities.
That is why programs such as the Giving Voice Chorus are so important. The Giving Voice Initiative inspires and equips organizations to bring together people with Alzheimer’s and their care partners to sing in choruses that foster joy, well-being, purpose and community understanding.
Giving Voice is leading a worldwide movement that helps people with Alzheimer’s Disease and their care partners live better lives and strengthen connections to their community through singing together.
If you’re interested, Giving Voice Initiative has a complete blueprint on their site for replicating the program in your community.
It Can Be Done Just as Effectively Over the Web
One study revealed that nursing home residents with dementia who often get agitated benefited from internet video chat that enabled them to both see as well as hear others while reducing agitation.
The Aging Experience combines both internet chat and live music to bring live streaming concerts to residents in care homes and as well as to shut-in elders.
It Increases Learning and Retention
Singing has been shown to increase learning and retention of new verbal material in persons with Alzheimer’s disease, and to engage brain regions responsible for motor action, emotions and creativity.
Brain scan images have shown that the dorsal medial pre-frontal cortex – associated with autobiographical memories and emotions – is highly stimulated during music activities. For people with Alzheimer’s, this area of the brain is one of the last to be affected.
One anonymous quote put it nicely: “Playing music is like a mega-vitamin, engaging more areas of the human brain than any other activity.” So, take your daily dose of vitamin M!
If you’re not, consider incorporating live music into your senior activities.
Is your loved one exposed to live music? Do you find a way to bring music into his/her life? Please share the results you notice and how your loved one responds to this kind of engagement.
