4 WAYS YouMay Be Able to Prevent Dementia Before It Starts
bide our time until there’s a cure, but recent research by the Alzheimer’s Research Center paints a different picture. A set of simple lifestyle changes may be the key to staving off cognitive decline as we get older. Regular exercise has been shown to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s by up to 50 percent, according to Help Guide, and it can even slow the onset of already-present cognitive decline. Walk or swim for about 150 minutes each week, along with two to three sessions of moderate resistance training, as well as balance and coordination exercises. Check out eldergym.com for more info on staying active as you age. Heart-healthy eating may also protect the brain. Limit your intake of sugar and saturated fats and eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Replace
butter and margarine with olive or canola oil. Two diets that have been linked to heart health are the DASH diet (dashdiet.org) and the Mediterranean diet. Frequent social engagement may help keep your brain sharp. Make efforts to speak face to face with someone you’re close to as often as you can. Try to make new friends, volunteer, join a club or social group, get to know your neighbors, or connect with people over social media. Mental stimulation may also be important to brain health as we age. Study something new to you, such as a foreign language or a musical instrument. Make reading books and newspapers part of your regular routine. Try doing crossword or sudoku puzzles. It’s not difficult to find an activity you enjoy that will also help keep your brain active.
From the moment you wake up in the morning, it feels like a dense fog fills your head. When you drag yourself out of bed and go to make yourself a plate of eggs and toast, it suddenly seems like a much more complicated task than before. You lose track of time, and the smell of smoke enters your nostrils. Frantically turning the burner off, it occurs to you that you can’t remember the day of the week. According to Time Magazine, 47 million people around the world live with some type of dementia. Typically, as we age, we’re told that all we can do is hope for the best and
SELF-CARE IS NOT SELFISH
Why Taking Care of Yourself Is Crucial to Taking Care of Others
When you’re part of a caretaking team for individuals with special needs, it is a 24/7 job. Even when you’re not on the clock, the people you care for are on your mind. That’s part of the reason you chose this job. You are passionate about helping people and providing them with the best care possible. Especially if your are a parent or family member of someone with special needs, their well-being is a huge part of your life. The problem is, this might mean you are neglecting your own care. And as airline attendants always remind us, in the event of an emergency, put on your oxygen mask first. Don’t wait for an emergency. Make taking care of yourself a priority today. I know this might sound impossible. You already have so much on your plate. And you are doing an amazing job! But the
caretaker needs to be cared for, too. You might not realize it, but those depending on you are also depending on your well-being. What happens if you get sick or aren’t mentally available? Practicing self-care ensures they can depend on you. Enlist a support group for yourself and use resources to make sure you are well.
• Remembering your personal goals and dedicating time to them.
By committing to your own care, you’re actually benefiting those you care for. For more resources for special needs caretakers, visit familieswithspecialneeds. com for a free resource guide and other suggestions on how you can practice self-care.
See to your self-care by:
• Getting annual checkups.
• Making time for yourself, whether
it’s five minutes drinking your cup of coffee and watching the sunrise or 20 minutes lifting weights and improving your strength.
• Finding a counselor to support you.
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Carving out time for your social life. Your friends are part of your support group.
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