Whilst there is no way to prevent dementia and research continues to find out more about the disease, there are many ways we can reduce our risk of developing dementia as we get older. A healthy lifestyle, diet, and exercise are all contributing factors so it’s a good idea to start implementing better habits early on to reduce your risk. Caring for your brain and heart Your brain is fed by blood vessels, if these are deprived of food and oxygen they will underperform and often can be the cause of dementia including Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy bodies (read more about these here). Protecting and caring for your brain will often help you care for your heart. Here are some...
In short, Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. Dementia is not a disease, keep reading to find out more. Dementia is not a disease, it is caused by diseases affecting the brain and is the name for a group of symptoms including memory, problem-solving, thinking and perception. There are many diseases which damage the brain and cause dementia, Alzheimer’s is one of these and the most common. Others include; – Frontal Temporal (Picks), – Lewy Body, – Vascular Continue reading: 6 Things You Should Know About Dementia What is Alzheimer’s disease? Alzheimer’s is where structures build up inside the brain and disrupt how nerve cells work, eventually causing them to die. As the symptoms progress, it causes problems...
Caring for a loved one with dementia can be quite challenging for most families. The tips posted below can be extremely helpful for family, friends or carers when trying to communicate with the person who has dementia. Improving your communication skills will help make caregiving less stressful and will likely improve the relationship with your loved one. Set a positive mood for interaction- your attitude and body language communicate your feelings stronger than your words. Try speaking in a pleasant manner with a softer tone of voice and positive facial expressions to convey your message. Get the persons attention- when you need to speak, keep distractions to a minimum. Try turning off the TV and closing the curtains. Before beginning...
A new study posted in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry found that marriage could in fact lower the risk of developing dementia. Combined results of 15 studies with data including 800,000 participants, finds that people who remain single are at a greater risk of developing dementia than people who are married by 42%. Widowers were 20% more likely to develop the condition. The risk of dementia between those who were married and divorced showed no difference. It’s important to note that these findings are based only on observational studies and no firm conclusions about cause and effect can be drawn. However, it is suggested by the researchers that marriage may help both partners to have healthier lifestyles, including exercising more, eating a healthy diet, and...
On Saturday 21st of October we were honoured to host our second fundraising event in aid of a charity close to our hearts, Alzheimer’s Research UK. The charity is making pioneering steps in devising treatments to prevent, slow down and ultimately cure dementia. Having experienced the disease in both a professional and personal setting Home Care Preferred are delighted to be able to support their work where we can. Our ‘We’ll Meet Again’ World War 2 musical was enjoyed by young and old alike – many donned their finest 1940’s inspired gear and really got into the spirit of the evening. The Compton Players were once again on fine form performing the show with passion and pizzazz. It was lovely...
A new report suggest over a third of dementia diagnoses could potentially be avoided by addressing aspects of one’s lifestyle including exercise, education, blood pressure and hearing. There were around 45 million people living with dementia in 2015, with recent figures showing this is set to rise; in England and Wales alone it is estimated that there will be a 57% increase in people living with dementia by 2040, with numbers set to hit 1.2million, driven predominantly by people living longer. But the new report from the Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention and care, stressed that dementia is not an inevitable part of ageing – and that action can be taken to decrease risk. “There are a lot of...
