If you could have the option of stopping dementia in its tracks would you? The majority of us would answer yes. No one wants to see their loved one suffer from a decrease in cognitive function. We provide the tips for reducing the risk of dementia.
How to Reduce the Risk
Healthy changes in habits can make a world of difference in our health. It can be difficult to know what’s best for us with all the contradictory information out there. We make it easy by doing the research for you and providing the straightforward facts to reducing the risk of dementia. While following these new habits the added benefit comes along of living a happier and healthier life as well.
The steps to lowering your risk of dementia include:
Following a Heart-Healthy Way of Life
The leading cause of death in America is heart disease, risk factors include smoking and eating a diet high in fats. Not only does a heart-healthy lifestyle decrease your risk of heart disease, but lessens the chances of memory loss. High risk factors increase the danger of vascular dementia, which can be caused by high blood pressure and heart disease.
Follow these heart-healthy steps today:
- Create a fun exercise routine that you look forward to
- Eat a healthy diet with lots of vegetable that’s low in sugar and fats
- Be smoke-free
Simple changes can be incorporated into our lives for positive changes. Although difficult at times to implement new things into our already chaotic lives try your best. Start out by going for a small walk or cooking a healthy meal with friends.
Keep an Active Brain
With higher education comes a decreased risk for cognitive decline, well educated people have better synapses in their brain. When people keep their minds active, their thinking skills are less likely to decline. Games, puzzles, and other types of brain training may help slow memory loss and other mental problems.
Keep your brain sharp with:
- Learning a new instrument
- Socializing often
- Taking classes
- Community volunteering
Reduce Alcohol
Drinking too much alcohol has many downsides, such as liver failure, but it can also increase your risk of dementia. Alcohol abuse accounts for the second leading cause of dementia in the western world. Women drinking more than four drinks a day and men consuming six drink a day are putting themselves at a higher risk of developing dementia. If it’s an issue to stop drinking alcohol seek help from a doctor to find out what treatments are available.
Get Out There and Socialize
By spending more time with friends it can reduce your stress levels. Attending social events regularly can lead to longevity, good health, and decreases the risk of developing dementia. Certain mechanism in the brain are activated during social and mental stimulation to protect the brain.
The positive benefits of socializing are:
- Feeling of belonging
- Improves brain health
- Less loneliness
- Reduces anxiety and depression
Sleep is Important
Sleep benefits the mind in many ways. Not only does it give your brain a chance to lock in memories so that you’re able to recall things like your child’s first birthday for years to come, it also enhances the ability to memorize new skills. Plus, the sleep you get now may have a long-term influence on your risk for cognitive decline as you age.
Adopt these sleep habits to help protect your brain’s health:
- Avoid Sleeping In: Too much sleep has been shown to have a negative effect on memory. People who sleep for more than nine hours a night have an increased risk of both dementia and Alzheimer’s compared with those who log six to nine.
- Limit Disruptions: Sleep interruptions, such as a snoring partner can hurt your brain health. In fact, people who have restless, poor sleep have a higher risk of cognitive decline than those who sleep straight through the night.
Fairmont Grand Senior Living Community
Fairmont Grand is a resident centered senior living and memory care facility in Rapid City, SD. Our goal is to create an environment where resident well-being is at the heart of everything we do.
Our wide range of services are designed to meet you or your loved one’s daily needs. We offer restaurant style dining options, a variety of physical activities, and give residents the opportunity to live as independently as possible.
If you or a loved one near Rapid City, South Dakota are considering assisted living or memory care, contact Fairmont Grand to learn more about individualized living options or tour our community.
