Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care: What You Can Do to Help

More than 5 million Americans are living with dementia or Alzheimer’s. With this increase in the prevalence of these diseases, people are now looking for ways to help. Dementia and Alzheimer’s care services can vary from location to location, but everyone can do some basic things to help. This article will teach you about the basics of alzheimer’s and dementia care and how you can make a difference for those living with a loved one suffering from the disease. Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Checklist

Treating Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

There are a few preventative measures that one can take before symptoms begin. This is important because some of the more severe symptoms could occur if the disease has already progressed. The best way to reduce your risk of dementia is to participate in physical exercise, eat a healthy diet, maintain a healthy weight, avoid smoking, and controlling diabetes and high blood pressure acutely. Additionally, it may be helpful to talk with your doctor about taking any medications or supplements that you’re on check with your family what they are comfortable with them knowing so as not to harm everyone involved further. Some examples include acetylcholinesterase inhibitors such as Tacrine (Cognex), Edrophonium (Neurontin), and Piribedil (Paliperidone). If there is evidence of dementia in someone close to you, it would be a good idea to immediately seek out other physicians so they can rule out other causes for what seems like dementia symptoms.

Keep Your Brain Active through Cognitively Stimulating Activities

Playing cards or board games such as scrabble or trivia can help keep sharp for those that love puzzles and questions. Scrabble requires hand-eye coordination which helps promote neuron density in the brain; it has been linked to overall cognition, particularly short-term memory span. Number Genius takes all these concepts further by being more intuitive, requiring no counting, and strengthening a person’s math skills.

Certain forms of storytelling, such as reading and poetry, may also benefit those who suffer from dementia. This can help improve case recognition, understanding of stories, and overall memory level. Many ways exist to help enhance your brain power in these areas; include cognitive exercises carried out on an iPad or Tablet app similar to Lumosity if one is texting based or working with a keyboard simultaneously which has multitouch capabilities.