Common Traits of Longevity

What do the longest living people

in the world have in common?

They say that it is the little things that matter most in life.  That is true especially when talking about the secrets of longevity.  Apparently it is the small details of daily living that add up to a healthier and longer life.  That is what the people at National Geographic discovered when they tried to explore the secrets of longevity among various people and cultures.  While looking for the common traits in lifestyle among the longest living people on the planet, they discovered certain similar practices which could be considered a formula to living a longer life. 

There are areas of the planet where people tend to enjoy longevity.  People there reach the age of 100 at extraordinary rates and reach these ages enjoying   amazing health  and strong cognitive capabilities.  The places have been geographically and demographically defined as the Blue Zones.  Blue Zone places like Greece, Nicaragua and Japan can teach the rest of the planet how to live a long and healthy life.  In the book, “The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest”, Dan Buettner maps out some common traits shared be these groups of people.

Lifestyle of Food

Diet is key to longevity.  Those who live in the Blue Zones share the same foundation in their diets. They all get the bulk of their protein from beans rather than meat.  High consumption of proteins from animal products can increase mortality levels by 70% and greatly increase the risk of getting cancer.  The Blue Zone centenarians eat beans, grains, fresh fruits and vegetables on a daily basis and enjoy small amounts of meat only a couple times a month.  They also drink a little wine daily which brings high levels of polyphenols and antioxidants into their diets. They live much longer than average with just a fraction of the current rate of dementia in their elderly years.

Lifestyle of Motion

People who live to the age of 100 and older are engaged in physical activity throughout their lives.  They don’t actively take part in exercise like per se but their lifestyles are set up so they are constantly in motion either through walking, gardening or doing household chores, mostly without the aid of modern conveniences.  Their daily chores keep them fit because they do them the old fashioned way: walking to the stores instead of driving, kneading bread instead of buying it sliced and packaged, planting, watering and weeding a vegetable garden…. These daily tasks create unconscious physical activity which carried out over a lifetime leads to a fit and healthy body.

                                                                                         

Lifestyle of Purpose

Having a sense of meaning or purpose in your life can add up to 7 years to the average lifespan.  The people living in the Blue Zones focus on family and relationships.  They live with or near their adult aged children and help raise their grandchildren.  They are deeply involved in the daily lives of their family because they all live, work, eat and play together.  Having a deep sense of purpose and involvement with the people you love adds years to a lifespan. 

Lifestyle of Community

Those living in the Blue Zones have a real sense of belonging to their community.  They share a commitment to social network that they have built over a lifetime.  Most live in a village setting with people they grew up with and have known for years.  The concept of being lonely, which can take 8 years off average life expectancy, would be hard for them to understand.  In addition the bulk of the centenarians are involved in a faith based group of some kind. A deep religious faith and connection to other faith based people can add up to a decade in life expectancy.

Taking a lesson from lifestyles found in the Blue Zones and adapting them to our daily lives can be a challenge but is well worth the effort.  Aging cannot be helped but how you live as you age can make an amazing difference in the quantity and quality of the years you enjoy.

www.homeaidhealthcare.com

www.prairiehomeassistedliving.com

Kate McCarthy is Director of Operations for HomeAid Health Care which provides services for the elderly who wish to remain safe and independent at home.  HomeAid is sister company to Prairie Home Assisted Living which has served the physical, spiritual, mental and health needs of their residents since 1999.  Together the two companies provide comprehensive care for the elderly in the Fox Valley area of Wisconsin.

Sources:

“Here are the Secrets to a Long and Healthy Life” by Simon Worrall, National Geographic. April 12, 2015.

“The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest” by Dan Buettner.

National Geographic, 2009.

“Top Lifestyle Changes for Older Adults to Live a Longer, More Enjoyable Life” by Derek Jones, April 4, 2016.

The Costs of Aging in Place

Home Health Care allows

the elderly to age in place.

Image abandoning the place you’ve called home for the past 40 years, surrendering all your income and moving into a long-term care facility, a nursing home.  There you must share a room with a stranger, follow the facility’s schedule and spend the majority of your time alone or with nursing staff.  Of course this is a stereotype, many long term care facilities are lovely places, but this lonely scenario is what many older Americans fear to be waiting for them when they are too ill, injured or grow to frail to live independently. The majority of elderly are adamant that they do not want to end up in an institutional setting.  Today, with the rising costs of care, there is an increasing interest in home health care as an alternative to long term facilities.

Age in Place

Home Health Care provides health care and support services that can be received at home and is available for ill or disabled people of all ages.  The main goal of Home Health Care for the elderly and frail is to allow the individual to age in place.    Home Health services allow aging individuals to maintain their independence and remain comfortable in a familiar setting.  With Home Health Care, the aging can avoid moving to institutionalized long term care facilities.  Studies have shown that Home Health Care can actually improve the quality of care received and many times will reduce the need for hospitalization. 

Benefits of Home Health Care

With outcomes often as effective as care received in assisted living, rehabilitation and skilled nursing homes, Home Health Care brings a lot of benefits to those who use it.  Home Health Care providers get to really know their patients and families and can tailor their services to best meet the Client’s health care needs, finances and family preferences.  They can help families navigate the confusing web of health care resources and can effectively advocate the needs of their patients.  Another advantage is family is invited to become more involved and can participate in providing support and hands on care for their loved one.  In addition patient morale is often better at home and people tend to recover faster with less incidents and safety issues in a home setting.  Finally, there can be significant cost savings when using Home Health Care as there are no room and board costs compared to nursing home, rehabilitation centers and other institutional care settings.

Types of Home Health Care

There are two types of Home Health Care options available; Skilled Home Health Care and Non-Medical Home Health Care. 

Skilled Home Health Care is medical in nature and is used to provide skilled care or treatment or rehabilitation services to homebound patients.  This type of care is usually initiated by a physician and provided by a licensed medical professional such as an RN, LPN or Physical, Speech or Occupational Therapists.  Providers must follow specific federal guidelines and criteria regarding patient care.  Skilled Home Health Care providers are usually Medicare certified and can accept 3^rd party billing of health insurance which is great because out of pocket expenses range from $85 - $150/hour.

Non-Medical Home Health Care provided home services which are not considered to be skilled care but help the individual be safe and comfortable at home.  Services are usually initiated by social workers, family members or by the aging person in need.  Care is provided by trained Caregivers and CNAs (Certified Nursing Assistants).  Providers can be licensed by the state but requirements vary state to state.  Non-Medical Home Health is usually an out of pocket expense and ranges from $20 - $30/hour in cost.  Non-Medical Home Health Care can be covered by Medicare if coupled with Skilled Home Health Care.  Long term care insurance policies as well Veterans Aid and Assistance benefits can be used to pay these Non-Medical services.

How they work together

Let’s work through a scenario to see how Skilled and Non-Medical Home Health Care work together.  Margaret is an 83 year old female who was hospitalized due to a fall.  She was released after 3 days in the hospital.  Upon her discharge, the physicians and social workers agreed that Margaret could not be home alone during her recovery even though she was expected to make a full recovery in time.  Margaret elected to use Home Health Care rather than move into an assisted living or stay at a skilled rehabilitation center. 

Skilled Home Health Care was set up to monitor Margaret’s recovery and ensure she would not have to be readmitted to the hospital.  Weekly, 30 minute RN visits were scheduled to check her vitals, medications and general health.  Physical Therapists visited her at home biweekly to work with Margaret on her walking and balance skills to prevent future falls.  Non-Medical Home Health Care was set up to visit Margaret twice a day.  A 4 hour AM and a 2 hour PM shift came daily to help with companionship, medication reminders, assistance with exercise routines, transfers, showering, toileting and dressing as well as household chores and meals.  Within a month Margaret no longer needed the Skilled Home Health Care which was discontinued.  She retained the Non-Medical Home Health Care long term but reduced the hours to only 3 per day.  Margaret’s combined use of the services cost her very little compared to moving into a facility to recover.  The fact that she retained the Non-Medical Home Health Care means that she will be able to remain at home in the future even as her care needs increase. 

www.homeaidhealthcare.com

www.prairiehomeassistedliving.com

Kate McCarthy is Director of Operations for HomeAid Health Care which provides services for the elderly who wish to remain safe and independent at home.  HomeAid is sister company to Prairie Home Assisted Living which has served the physical, spiritual, mental and health needs of their residents since 1999.  Together the two companies provide comprehensive care for the elderly in the Fox Valley area of Wisconsin.

Hoarding Troubles

What looks like clutter to us, represents

 memories, travels, friends and love to seniors.

Charlie was a young boy during WWII and like many of his peers he remembers how it was to make do.  He tended to keep things just in case he might need them down the road.  Yet a lifetime of storing things became something far more than being frugal when his wife passed away.   After Marge’s  death the stuff accumulating around the house grew into more than just piles of clutter.  There were newspapers, old pill bottles, and empty food containers covering every flat surface, heaps of dirty laundry on the bed and floor and no clear path to move from room to room.  Clutter took over Charlie’s home and started to have a negative effect on many aspects of his life.

The hoarding of objects among the elderly is a serious problem.  Piles of hoarded objects can be a sign of a serious cognitive disorder and present a safety concern which requires immediate intervention.

Hoarding as a disorder

We all keep things.  For some, the item has sentimental value and for others it is about a possible need in the future, but often times the elderly keep things because they suffer from a cognitive disorder.  Diogenes Syndrome is a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder which is prevalent among the elderly.  It often presents itself in those suffering from dementia or frontal lobe impairment.  According to the American Geriatrics Society, Diogenes Syndrome is usually characterized by extreme self-neglect, household squalor, social withdrawal, apathy, compulsive hoarding of rubbish and a lack of shame.  This syndrome is usually found in people who lack social interaction and cognitive stimulation, have suffered a traumatic event or have a genetic predisposition to the condition. The elderly are prime candidates for hoarding prevalent in Diogenes syndrome. 

Those who suffer from elderly hoarding tend to use their possessions as a coping mechanism.  The onset of this condition can be triggered by an emotional trauma, like the death of a spouse.  The elderly person has a hard time dealing with their loss and so fixates on something they can control.  The disorder is also associated with those suffering from fear of loss, anxiety and depression.  In some cases hoarders just don’t know how to get rid of their unwanted possessions.  In other cases the collected items are kept out of sense of loyalty to the past or a compelling need to conserve.  No matter what is the underlying cause of hoarding, the accumulation of things over time combined with the daily bombardment of junk mail, bills, newspapers, dirty dishes and laundry can very easily become too overwhelming for the elderly to deal with. 

Risks of Hoarding

Having clutter around the house is risky for the elderly. Piles of newspaper and old books not only represent a potential fall risk but can add fuel to a fire.  Old clothes lying about on the floor invite damp, mold and mildew into the home.  Dirty dishes and expired food in the cupboard lure mice, rats and insects.  Piles of mail could hide important documents, unpaid bills or checks that need to go to the bank.

 

Hoarding not only creates anxiety, stress, guilt and embarrassment for the elderly but often destroys relationships with family members.  Adult children have a hard time trying to convince their elderly loved ones to allow them to sort through things and throw the junk away.  Relationships are strained and isolation becomes more of an issue when family stays away due to the unhygienic state of the home. 

What to watch for

Sometimes it is hard to recognize and label the problem as Diogenes syndrome.  Since confronting this issue can be difficult for family members, it is helpful to know what signs indicate a real problem. 

• Piles of clothes, newspapers, mail and unpaid bills
• Difficulty navigating safely through the house
• Frustration with sorting and organizing
• Difficulty managing activities of daily living
• Expired food in the refrigerator and cupboards
• Closets and drawer crammed with things
• Compulsive shopping
• Difficulty with discarding items
• Stroke or signs of dementia
• Loneliness

Helping an elderly loved one who is struggling with hoarding requires a lot of patience.  Bombarding the home with a ‘get this done today’ attitude or secretly clearing out things behind the hoarder’s back can only aggravate the stress in their lives.  It is important to remember that the house didn’t get this way because of poor housekeeping skills.  A hoarder is suffering from a disorder and needs emotional help before they are ready to toss anything. 

What to do to help

Experts suggest taking on small areas at a time.  Help an elderly loved one clear off a table and then praise the results.  Suggest donating items to a local charity or thrift shop.  Remind that safety in the home is important to being able to remain independent at home.  Work out an agreement of not keeping unused things for more than 6 months.  Clutter is about control and hoarders have a hard time letting things go, but allowing them to decide where things go can be very helpful.  Don’t think that once the house is clean, the problem has gone away.  Hoarders will continue keeping things and the place will slowly fill up again unless the underlying emotional issues are dealt with and there is practical help in keeping the clutter at bay.

www.homeaidhealthcare.com

www.prairiehomeassistedliving.com

Kate McCarthy is Director of Operations for HomeAid Health Care which provides services for the elderly who wish to remain safe and independent at home.  HomeAid is sister company to Prairie Home Assisted Living which has served the physical, spiritual, mental and health needs of their residents since 1999.  Together the two companies provide comprehensive care for the elderly in the Fox Valley area of Wisconsin.

Home Health Care

Most elderly want to stay at home

but are confused about

how Home Health Care can help.

Peter and Mary have lived in their home for over 40 years.  They have loved and cared for the house, the garden and the 4 children they raised there.  Now as they are aging and the children have grown and gone, they find it increasingly difficult to keep up the place.  Basic yard work and housekeeping isn’t being done and daily household chores like cooking and laundry are becoming a bit overwhelming.  Yet despite Peter’s troubles with walking and managing showers and Mary’s failing eyesight, they want to stay at home rather than move into an assisted living facility. They decided to get a Home Health Caregiver who will come and help them out a couple time a week.    

Most elderly and disabled prefer to stay at home and are choosing to use Home Health Care services to make that possible. Home Health Care is a practical and efficient way for individuals with health care or age related issues to get the services they need right in the convenience of their own home. 

There are two types of Home Health Care options, which can be confusing when someone is just starting to look into Home Health as a possible solution to their care needs.

Skilled (Medical) Home Health Care

Skilled or Medical Home Health Care is generally used to help someone get healthy at home. Skilled Home Health is usually recommended after a doctor’s visit or a hospital stay and the care is provided by medical professionals, such as a visiting RN or LPN.  Because the level of care being provided is skilled, the costs can be high.  Skilled Home Health Care is usually limited to just a few hours a week and assists with very specific needs.

With Skilled Home Health Care you can expect:

•   Skilled nursing
•  At-home physical therapy
•  Pain Management
• Caring for wounds
• Prescription management

Non-Medical Home Health Care

Non-Medical Home Health Care is about sustaining and maintaining a quality of life at home.  It is about preserving safety and independence at home for someone who might not be able to remain safe and independent on their own.  Many times the Caregivers who provide these services are Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA).  These services are a lot less expensive than the Skilled Home Health and can be used on a wider scale.  Often those who use Skilled Home Health Care will also have Non-Medical Home Health Care come to help with various tasks to keep the home running smoothly.

With Non-Medical Home Health Care you can expect:

•  Personal grooming services like bathing or assistance getting dressed
•  Ambulation services like assistance getting in and out of the bed/shower
• Medication reminders
• Alzheimer's or Dementia care
• Errands like grocery shopping, picking up prescriptions or transportation to appointments
• Housekeeping, laundry and cooking
• Companionship

Home Health Care Costs

Because both Medical and Non-Medical Home Health can get expensive, people wonder what payment options are available to help with the costs.  The cost of services will vary depending on where you live and the type of services needed.  It is a good idea to shop around and learn what services are provided.  Some Home Health Care agencies have sliding fee scales, and others charge on a per task basis and others provide a Caregiver who can assist with all cares needed at set hourly rate. Non-Medical Home Health Care services are usually paid for privately, but there are also some public and private funding sources.  Funding sources include the following:

•  Medicare
• Medicaid
• The Older Americans Act
• The Veterans’ Administration
• Private insurance

Home Health Care (Skilled or Non-Medical) is a great way to get the assistance needed without having to give up the family home and move into a facility.  As more and more people understand the options available with Home Health Care, it is bound to become a favorite option for families everywhere.

www.homeaidhealthcare.com

www.prairiehomeassistedliving.com

Kate McCarthy is Director of Operations for HomeAid Health Care which provides services for the elderly who wish to remain safe and independent at home.  HomeAid is sister company to Prairie Home Assisted Living which has served the physical, spiritual, mental and health needs of their residents since 1999. Together the two companies provide comprehensive care for the elderly in the Fox Valley area of Wisconsin.

Working Through Grief With Dementia

A person with dementia may not remember the name 

of their missing loved one but still deeply feel that loss in their lives.

We all experience grief. Unfortunately, at one time or another everyone will suffer a loss of someone dear to them. Although people grieve in different ways depending on the nature of their relationships and their past experiences with loss, the grieving process is quite normal and necessary. Grieving helps an individual adapt and accept the reality of their loss, work through the pain and adjust to all the life changes caused by the death of their loved one.

Going through the grieving process is very difficult for people in general; but for people with dementia, the process can be far more complicated. People with dementia experience grief, but their reaction to their loss is largely affected by their own cognitive understanding of what has happened to their loved one, the connection they had with the person they are grieving for and how well they can express their sorrow.

It is wrong to assume that because a person cannot remember the name of their missing loved one they do not feel that loss in their lives. Those with dementia generally live with feelings that things are not right, or a constant state of “wrong-being,” but are usually unable to put their finger on what the problem is. Most individuals suffering with dementia are somewhat aware of their confusion and live with grief over lost abilities, memories and understanding. Add in the loss of someone dear to them and their confusion can be compounded. Grief and the mourning process can be experienced by those with even advanced dementia, regardless of their cognitive ability to resolve or make sense of their feelings. So in most cases it is better to share the news of a death than to try to pretend nothing has changed.

There are several considerations to keep in mind when helping a bereaved person with dementia work through grief.

Choose carefully when to share bad news

According to Melanie Bunn, RN and Alzheimer’s training consultant, consideration must be given to the bereaved person’s cognitive condition when choosing when to share the news of a loss. Select a time of day when the bereaved is rested and feels comfortable and safe. Many people suffering from “sundowners,” a type of dementia, find late afternoons and evenings especially challenging and would be better able to process difficult news in the morning hours.

Choose carefully how to share bad news

Have a familiar and trusted person talk to the bereaved in a clear, calm and simple manner. It is best to have only one person relay the news of a death. People with dementia can be deeply affected by the emotional climate of grieving family members and respond with increased agitation and restlessness. Experts advise avoiding abstract phrases like “passed away.” It is much more effective to plainly state that the person “died.” Keep sentences short and do not overwhelm the bereaved person with dementia with too much information at once. Be prepared to frequently repeat the information as they will need time and repetition to process it. Do not be surprised by a delayed reaction or lack of response.

Help the immediate grief process

Those suffering from dementia can benefit by participating in the rituals of death. According to the article, “Sharing Bad News,” by Melanie Bunn, it may be necessary to modify rituals to make them more workable for the person with dementia. She suggests private visitations rather than participating in public gatherings, attending the funeral but not the burial or hosting a local memorial ceremony rather than traveling great distances to attend a funeral.

After the funeral, it is helpful for the individual suffering from dementia to reminisce about their loved one. Talking about memories while looking at a photo of the deceased will aid in the grieving process. Often the person with dementia needs help expressing their grief and speaking to them using empathetic phrases will help them verbalize their mourning. According to Alzheimer Scotland’s article, “Loss and bereavement in people with dementia,” phrases like, “You sound like you really miss him. Tell me what you miss about him most.” aid those who have a hard time finding words to express the emotions they feel.

Help with long-term grief  

Constant assessment of the cognitive state of the bereaved is very important. Ignoring the mood of the day and trying to force a person with dementia to understand a death can be detrimental to the grieving process. Try to have all people in contact with the person diagnosed with dementia be consistent and patient as they work through their grief over time.

By focusing on the person with dementia and validating their emotions, even though the source of the emotions are lost to them, the grieving process will be made easier for the person suffering from dementia and the entire family.

www.homeaidhealthcare.com

www.prairiehomeassistedliving.com

Kate McCarthy is Director of Operations for HomeAid Health Care which provides non-medical home services for the elderly who wish to remain safe and independent at home. HomeAid is a sister company to Prairie Home Assisted Living which has served the physical, spiritual, mental and health needs of their residents since 1999. Together the two companies provide comprehensive care that meets the needs of the elderly in the Fox Valley.

Sources:

“Sharing Bad News” by Melanie Bunn

“Loss & Bereavement in People with Dementia” by Alzheimer Scotland

“Grief and Dementia” by Kenneth J. Doka

Preventing Alzheimer’s disease

Pro-actively reduce the risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease

The numbers are scary.  Currently there are over 5 million people in the USA suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.  This condition affects one out of eight people over 65 and one out of two for those over 85.  This progressive disease slowly destroys the connections between brain cells, leaving holes in the brain tissue.  It steals memories and the ability to communicate and respond to one’s environment and eventually leads to death.  It is the sixth leading cause of death in the country now and is expected to affect more and more people as our population ages.  World-wide it is estimated that there will be about 135.5 million people with Alzheimer’s by 2050. 

In the beginning, Alzheimer’s usually presents itself as a mild form of forgetfulness or short term memory loss.  At the early stages of cognitive problems there may be time to delay the onset of future memory issues.  The Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation believes that memory loss is not a normal or natural part of aging.  With proper preventative action, the brain can be rejuvenated and the risk of developing Alzheimer’s greatly reduced.  For those already diagnosed with Early Cognitive Impairment, studies show that actively working the brain can elevate symptoms and actually reverse some of the damage caused by the disease, as well as delay further damage to the brain.

The Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation promotes “Four Pillars to Alzheimer’s Prevention”.  These preventative measures are for all seniors and elderly who wish to be proactive about their cognitive health.  For those already diagnosed with Early Cognitive Impairment or dementia, these measures can actively slow down the progression of the disease and provide a longer, healthier life prolonging the onset of disabling symptoms.  The ARPF suggests focusing on these four areas of prevention:

1.      Diet and Supplements

2.      Stress Management

3.      Exercise

4.      Prescription Medications

Diet and Supplements

Lifestyle has a direct impact on developing Alzheimer’s disease.  Beyond genetic predisposition, a person’s chance of being diagnosed with any form of dementia is greatly influenced by diet.  Eating correctly to promote better memory, prevent memory loss and slow down cognitive impairment is an excellent place to start.  An Alzheimer’s prevention diet is comprised of

·         20% good fat - extra virgin olive oil, avocado, flax seed oil and Omega-3 fish  oils

·        40% lean protein – fish, chicken, turkey and soy

·        40% complex carbohydrates – fresh fruit & vegetables, whole grains, and legumes

·       Super food for the brain – blueberries, spinach, walnuts, wheat germ and flax, etc.

Beyond diet, vitamin and minerals play an important role in preventing Alzheimer’s disease.  Taking a basic multiple vitamin and mineral supplement with folic acid is a good place to start.  Vitamin C taken with Vitamin E has been proven to reduce risk of Alzheimer’s by up to 20%.  Other supplements to boost memory include ginkgo biloba, phosphatidyl serine, Omega-3 Oils, acetyl-L-carnitine, coenzyme Q10 and alpha lipoic acid.

Stress Management

It has been proven that high levels of stress play a role in Alzheimer’s disease.  There is a relationship between high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high cortisol levels and the onset of Alzheimer’s.  This means that balancing stress is vital to prevention of these conditions, which often leads to onset of Alzheimer’s as one ages.  Stress relaxation techniques lower cortisol levels which improve mental functions.  Although many types of stress reducing techniques are helpful, the ARPF promotes a yoga meditation called Kirtan Kriya shows a profound effect on the brain and memory as well as other aspects of overall health.

Exercise

Being active both physically and mentally is essential to an Alzheimer’s prevention program.  Physical exercise reduces the risk of developing this disease by 50% and regular exercise in women aged 40-60 shows a notable reduction in cognitive decline compared to those who do not exercise.  Studies show that 150 minutes a week of a combination of cardio and strength training boost brain size and strength as well as benefit general health.

Mental exercise reduces chances of getting Alzheimer’s disease by 50-70%.  Spending at least 20 minutes a day challenging the brain with new or different tasks improves brain function significantly.  Moreover a combination of physical exercise immediately followed by mental stimulation such as a crossword puzzle or word game gets the best possible outcomes.

Prescription Medications

Early detection and prompt medical treatment of memory problems can help delay the onset of Alzheimer’s.  In fact those with a diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment have a high risk of progressing to Alzheimer’s unless a pro-active program is put in place.  A combination of prescription medications along with a holistic medical program has been proven to have the best results. Pharmaceutical medications, Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy and over the counter supplements should always be taken under the guidance of physician who is an expert in Alzheimer’s disease.  

Taking action by following the ARPF’s Four Pillars of Alzheimer’s Prevention will maximize brain size and ability and reduce the risk of getting Alzheimer’ disease. 

www.homeaidhealthcare.com

www.prairiehomeassistedliving.com

Kate McCarthy is Director of Operations for HomeAid Health Care which provides services for the elderly who wish to remain safe and independent at home.  HomeAid is sister company to Prairie Home Assisted Living which has served the physical, spiritual, mental and health needs of their Residents since 1999.  Together the two family owned companies provide comprehensive care for the elderly in the Fox Valley of Wisconsin.

Sources:

“The Four Pillars of Alzheimer’s Prevention” brochure. Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation.

Exercising the Mind to Regain Memory

Memory loss is not a normal or

natural process of aging.

Jessica noticed feeling fuzzy in her mind more and more after she reached her 70’s.  She joked about being muddle-minded and excused herself laughing about having a ‘senior moment’ when she couldn’t remember an important fact.  Jessica had always prided herself on being sharp and so wasn’t about to let age steal her quick wits.  So she decided to get proactive about her brain and began energetically exercising her mind.  She was amazed by the results. 

The brain is an organ and like all organs in the human body it experiences some natural changes as we age, yet loss of memory does not have to be one of them.  Mental decline due to aging is preventable and even reversible with the right attitude and some dedication to exercising the mind.

According to Dr. Dharma Signh Khalsa, President and Medical Director of the Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation, seniors and the elderly can avoid mental aging by keeping the brain active.  By proactively engaging the mind in “vigorous mental exercise” he calls brain aerobics, Dr. Khalsa states that mind and memory can be improved in those starting to show signs of mental deterioration.  The theory that it is normal and inevitable for the elderly to experience memory loss is no longer believed to be true.

Let Einstein be your role model

Albert Einstein has long been considered the most brilliant man in history, yet he had  very normal brain cells.  After his death, a pathologist examined Einstein’s brain tissue and discovered that the cells, or neurons, were no different from that of an average person.  What was surprising was that the supporting structure around Einstein’s brain cells was far more developed than average.  These supporting structures, called glial cells, are the connections or pathways between brain cells allowing them to communicate effectively.   Einstein’s glial cells were numerous and well developed which could account for his remarkable intellectual ability. 

Brain challenge

It is a proven fact that certain brain challenging activities will improve existing glial cells as well as actually create new ones.  Studies show that mental exercise regenerates brain cells, causing them to grow larger and stronger and become more resistant to the effects of aging.  Cognitive exercise also increases the number of connections in the brain which unlocks, activates and sustains brain power no matter what our age, but to be effective the mental activity must meet three criteria:

1.      It must engage your attention

2.      It must break up a routine activity in an unexpected way

3.      It must involve two or more of the senses.

How to exercise the brain

Just as physical exercise is essential to healthy longevity; mental exercise is the key to fighting loss of cognitive ability and memory, and a combination of the two is the best bet to remaining mentally agile as we age.  Recent studies show that greatest results are found with a combination of physical and mental exercise. A 30 minute exercise routine, such as brisk walking, followed by stretching and then a 15-20 minute mental exercise, like a crossword puzzle, increases the efficiency and power of the brain. Jolting the brain out of its normal routines is also a brilliant way to improve cognitive agility.  Learning a new language or reading a book for 10 minutes upside down stimulates the brain in amazing ways.

It is pretty easy

Like all things we should do, getting into the habit of actually doing them is the hardest part.  Mental exercises or activities are easy and can be fun.  Since the combination of physical and mental exercise gets the best results, it is a good idea to add a few cognitive activities to the end of a morning exercise routine.  Follow a yoga session with 20 minutes working working on a cross word puzzle or take a brisk walk with a friend and discuss current events.  Playing electronic games such as Sudoku or word finding games on your phone or tablet is great way to rest after a session lifting hand weights or swim laps followed by working on a jigsaw puzzle.

      It has often said you can’t teach old dog new tricks, but learning new things, especially for the aging, will improve brain functions, regenerate lost cognitive abilities and improve short term memory.  So avoid watching TV and instead pick up a good book, write a poem, play a word game, get going with new a hobby or learn a new language. Proactively pursuing mental activity will improve connections in the brain, stimulate the mind and help improve memory. 

www.homeaidhealthcare.com

www.prairiehomeassistedliving.com

Kate McCarthy is Director of Operations for HomeAid Health Care which provides services for the elderly who wish to remain safe and independent at home.  HomeAid is sister company to Prairie Home Assisted Living which has served the physical, spiritual, mental and health needs of their Residents since 1999.  Together the two family owned companies provide comprehensive care for the elderly in the Fox Valley of Wisconsin.

Sources:

“The Power of Brain Aerobics: Maximize your Memory” brochure. Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation.