Dementia affects millions of people and millions more worry about whether it’s something they’ll battle, too. There is no foolproof way to avoid dementia completely, but there are some steps that seniors can take to proactively care for their brains and cognitive health while they hopefully reduce some of their risk factors. Home care services can be a huge help for seniors who want to do everything they can to slow down the chance that they’ll develop dementia.
Talk to Doctors about Risk Factors
It’s vital for seniors to talk to their healthcare providers about their individual risk factors. Understanding those risk factors allows them to make plans to help address them. This means scheduling and attending regular checkups, understanding how family history plays into all of this, and addressing existing medical conditions properly. Elder care providers can help seniors to get to appointments and they can also help with routines that support care plans that focus on health and well-being.
Adjust Dietary Habits
Some seniors may find that they need to adjust some of their dietary habits in order to reduce dementia risk factors. This might involve switching to something like a Mediterranean diet or simply adding a lot more antioxidant-rich foods to their diets. Seniors should start to limit excess salt and sugar, reducing processed foods as much as possible. Increasing omega-3 fatty acids can help with brain health, too.
Become or Stay as Active as Possible
Increasing physical activity is another important change to consider. Seniors can start to incorporate more movement into everyday activities slowly so that they are able to stick with them. Aerobic exercises like walking or swimming can be incredibly beneficial for seniors. Strength training is also helpful for overall health and for cognitive well-being. It’s important to check with doctors first and make sure that exercise is safe to do.
Get Vision and Hearing Checkups Regularly
Untreated vision and hearing issues are way more important for cognitive health than many seniors realize. These problems can cause seniors to start to isolate themselves, which is not a healthy state of mind at all. Additionally, reduced sensory input from both eyes and ears can speed up cognitive decline. These are serious issues that need to be treated in order to reduce the risk of dementia. Good hearing and vision also help seniors to keep participating in all sorts of activities that keep their brains strong and healthy.
Get Help from Home Care Providers Now
Family caregivers may feel like it’s a good idea to wait to bring in home care assistance. But the reality is that home care professionals can do a lot to help seniors support healthy decisions and keep their brains strong and engaged. Home care also offers personalized care and emotional support that are so valuable for aging adults.
Seniors can do so much to help reduce their risk factors for dementia. The more that they and family caregivers understand about what to do and how services like home care professionals can make these tasks easier, the more progress they can all make.
If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in Tuscola, TX, please contact the caring staff at Clear Path Home Care today. Call 325-244-0877.
Clear Path Home Care provides compassionate, high quality home care in Childress County, Cottle County, King County, Stonewall County, Fisher County, Nolan County, Hardeman County, Foard County, Knox County, Haskell County, Jones County and Taylor County in Texas.
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