Loneliness is widespread among older adults. As seniors age, their social network tends to decrease, making it difficult to connect with friends and family members on a regular basis. Social isolation doesn’t merely affect emotional wellbeing. Some studies suggest chronic loneliness can increase the risk of dementia. Here are a few things you need to know about isolation and dementia.
Social Interaction and the Brain
Social interaction is stimulating for the brain. When humans interact, talk, laugh, or argue, the brain is forced to engage on multiple levels at once, which promotes cognitive health. For optimal brain health, seniors need to live in a cognitively enriched environment where they interact with people, learn new things, and experience a variety of sights, sounds, and other sensory stimuli. When older adults spend too much time alone, their brains don’t get the experiential and intellectual stimulation they need to remain healthy. In these instances, the brain can begin to atrophy, which makes it more susceptible to dementia.
For families living in Clearwater, respite care can be a wonderful solution when their aging loved ones need companionship and socialization a few hours a week or just need minor assistance with daily household tasks. At Home Care Assistance, we thrive on helping seniors maintain their independence while living in the comfort of home.
Loneliness and Learning
When seniors don’t spend enough time with other people, it lowers the chances of learning new things and increases the risk of cognitive decline. Seniors are advised to continue their education if they want to ward off dementia. When people continue to pursue knowledge throughout their lives, it protects their brain cells from damage and deterioration. If seniors aren’t exposed to new knowledge, it leads to a lowered cognitive reserve, leaving the brain more susceptible to threats. To reduce the risk of dementia, seniors should continue to learn and grow throughout their lives, and social interaction is one of the most common ways to learn new things.
Hiring a professional caregiver is a good way to make sure your parent receives regular mental and social stimulation. If your elderly loved one needs help maintaining a high quality of life while aging in place, reach out to Home Care Assistance, a trusted provider of Clearwater home care. Our caregivers provide transportation to and from medical appointments and social events, nutritious meal preparation, assistance with daily exercise, and help with everyday tasks like bathing, grooming, and light housekeeping.
Loneliness and Depression
Scientists aren’t sure whether loneliness increases the risk of dementia or whether dementia increases the risk of isolation. Many of the risk factors for dementia, ranging from social isolation to hearing loss, are so intertwined with the disease that it’s difficult to assess the causal relationships. When seniors are lonely, they’re more likely to develop depression. Persistent depression has physiological impacts on the body, affecting things like hippocampal brain volume and stress hormones. These factors can increase a senior’s risk for dementia. When seniors are depressed, it’s important to get them treatment and resolve the external factors contributing to the condition, such as social isolation.
Social Interaction and Stress
Many scientific studies have praised the benefits of social interaction. Spending time with loved ones can reduce the risk of disease, increase life span, and boost emotional wellbeing. There are several reasons socialization is important, but the human stress response is perhaps the most significant. When humans experience stress or anxiety, the body responds by producing hormones and increasing the heart rate. While this response can be helpful in fight-or-flight situations, it takes a toll on health when it happens too frequently. Chronic stress can negatively impact heart and brain health. Because the human brain is hardwired for social interactions, spending time with friends and family members mitigates the negative effects of the stress response. The anxiety that results from long-term isolation can increase the risk for dementia.
Dementia is a major medical condition among the elderly. If your senior loved one has been diagnosed with a serious condition and needs help with tasks like meal prep, transportation, bathing, and grooming, reach out to Home Care Assistance, a leading provider of elder care Clearwater, Florida, families can trust. We also offer comprehensive care for seniors with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. Call us at (727) 330-7862 to schedule a free in-home consultation.