If you care for a senior parent, you’re probably concerned about his or her odds of developing a cognitive condition such as Alzheimer’s. While there’s no way to guarantee your loved one won’t develop Alzheimer’s, there are some steps he or she can take to reduce the risk.
1. Get Regular Exercise
Maintaining a daily exercise regimen is one of the best ways to help your loved one avoid developing Alzheimer’s disease. While scientists aren’t yet sure why exercise is so important for the brain, studies show individuals who exercise regularly have a significantly reduced chance of developing this disease, in part because it reduces some of the natural effects of aging on neural connections.
For seniors with mobility limitations or health conditions that make it difficult to exercise safely on their own, professional caregivers can be a wonderful asset. If your aging loved one needs help managing everyday tasks or encouragement to adopt healthier lifestyle choices, turn to Home Care Assistance, a leading provider of in-home care. Home Care Assistance provides professional in-home caregivers around the clock to help seniors live longer, happier, and healthier lives.
2. Follow a Healthy Diet
The foods your loved one eats has a direct effect on his or her brain health. Certain vitamins and minerals are essential for maintaining memory and cognitive function, including vitamin B12, vitamin D, folate, and calcium, so it’s important to incorporate these nutrients into your loved one’s daily meals with foods like spinach, kale, halibut, tuna, beans, coffee, cinnamon, berries, and extra virgin olive oil.
For some seniors, shopping for fresh foods and preparing nutritious meals on their own can be challenging. Aging adults who require assistance with the tasks of daily living can benefit from reliable senior home care. Clearwater, FL, families trust Home Care Assistance to provide the high-quality care their elderly loved ones need and deserve. Our caregivers are trained to help seniors prevent and manage serious illnesses and encourage them to make healthier decisions as they age.
3. Receive Plenty of Cognitive Stimulation
Like muscles, the brain is more likely to stay healthy and strong when it’s regularly exercised, and keeping all areas of the brain engaged is an especially effective means of reducing the risk of cognitive decline. Encourage your loved one to regularly participate in mentally stimulating activities like puzzles or crosswords or consider trying brain-boosting apps like Lumosity.
4. Socialize
Research shows making and maintaining meaningful social relationships can help senior brains stay healthy. As having regular social interaction is an important element of emotional and mental health, making sure your loved one has friends and family members around is a good way to help him or her avoid the feelings of isolation and depression that can contribute to cognitive decline.
If your loved one does develop Alzheimer’s disease, your family doesn’t have to go through it alone. Without the right assistance, Alzheimer’s can be challenging for seniors and their families to manage. If you’re looking for professional Alzheimer’s care, Clearwater Home Care Assistance provides high-quality care aging adults and their families can count on. All of our hourly and live-in caregivers are trained to help seniors with Alzheimer’s live happier and healthier lives, and we also provide specialized dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s care. To create a customized care plan for your loved one, call us at (727) 330-7862 today.