According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the prevalence of dementia more than doubles every 5 years for Canadians age 65 and older, from less than 1% for those ages 65 to 69, to about 25% for those 85 and older.

Fortunately, it is possible to reduce your risks with some simple lifestyle modifications, such as changes to your diet, exercise plan, and sleep schedule, and with our senior care teams by your side, it’s easy to get started.

Read on to review research on strategies for dementia risk reduction, and learn a few ways Always Best Care is helping seniors build healthy minds and bodies at home, or call (905)-592-4886 to speak directly with a dementia care specialist in Milton, ON.

Research Review: Lifestyle Modifications Greatly Reduce Senior Dementia Risks In Milton, ON

According to a meta-analysis of published research by Current Nutrition Reports, improvements to seniors’ diet, physical activity levels, and sleep can greatly reduce dementia risk for adults aged 65 and over (Zhao et al., 2018).

Dietary improvements focusing on plant-based meals and conscious reductions of red meat, processed food items, and alcohol have been linked to:

• Increased antioxidant capacity levels
• Decreased inflammatory markers related to dementia risk
• Protective effects on cognitive function
• Reduced brain aging, with healthy eaters exhibiting test performances equivalent to those 5 years younger
• Lower risk of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease—for those who followed the MIND diet, risk levels dropped by 35-53%

At the same time, increasing physical activity levels has been associated with:

• Increased neurogenesis and cerebral blood volume
• Improved neural functional recovery and neuronal survival after neurotoxic injuries
• Decreased age-related cortical atrophy
• 14% decreased risk of dementia and long-lasting protective effects in 10-year follow-up studies

Finally, improved sleep quality has been shown to:

• Reduce “low-level systemic inflammation” associated with sleep deprivation
• Reduce amyloid burden in the brain
• Improve memory consolidation, and more

If you want to bring these benefits to your loved ones, our senior care teams can help. Read on to learn how we’re building healthy bodies, minds, and sleep habits in Milton, ON, or call (905)-592-4886 to speak directly with a dementia care specialist near you.

Dementia Care: Building Healthy Bodies And Minds At Home

These are just a few of the ways we help reduce dementia risk for our clients:

• Improve seniors’ diet—Our senior care teams already take care of the grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning, so incorporating more brain-building foods into your loved one’s diet is as easy as asking.

Not only can we prepare fresh and mind-healthy meals at their request; we can also stock the home with healthy snacks to improve their independence, save money on takeout, and improve dietary adherence between visits. And if your loved ones are eating out, we can scour the menu to help them find the best options for brain health.

Finally, we can help seniors reduce alcohol consumption by removing alcohol from the household, monitoring intake, and preparing tasty alternatives to alcohol beverages (e.g. sparkling waters, soothing teas, and fresh juices).

• Increase seniors’ physical activity levels—Our senior care teams make it easy to find safe opportunities for exercise, even during the dead of winter. Whether your loved ones need home workout equipment, help signing up and finding transportation to a local fitness center, or a workout buddy to join them on gentle walks, our senior care teams do it all. And while we are not personal trainers, we can provide motivation, safety monitoring, and support as needed, so your loved ones can feel confident pushing themselves and reaping the rewards of moderate-to-vigorous exercise.

• Optimize seniors’ sleep schedules—Our senior care teams can help your loved ones implement healthy bedtime routines, create comfortable sleeping conditions at home, limit caffeine intake after lunch, minimize strain during bedtime activities of daily living (e.g. bathing, dressing for bed, tuck-ins, etc), and provide general peace of mind to reduce stress and foster deep, restorative sleep.But remember: this is just a brief sampling of what we do every day to help seniors build healthy minds, bodies, and sleep schedules in Milton, ON. To learn more, call (905)-592-4886 or book a free consultation with our team.

References

Zhao, C., Noble, J. M., Marder, K., Hartman, J. S., Gu, Y., & Scarmeas, N. (2018). Dietary patterns, physical activity, sleep, and risk for dementia and cognitive decline. Current Nutrition Reports, 7(4), 335-345.