Preventing the onset of dementia
According to Alzheimer’s UK, almost half (45%) of dementia cases worldwide could be prevented or delayed. These cases are linked to factors that affect our health throughout our life.
Three important steps to help prevent the onset of dementia are :
Take care of your heart - what’s good for your heart is good for your brain. The brain relies on a good blood supply to stay healthy. Take steps to look after your heart can help lower your risk of cardiovascular diseases, and your risk of dementia too.
Stay connected – social isolation has been linked to a higher risk of dementia. Research suggests that people who have little to no social contact with other people may have smaller learning and memory centres in the brain. These areas are often the first to be affected by dementia and so it is important to protect them. Social interaction is important.
Stay sharp – keep your mind active. Doing crossword puzzles or Sudoku, learning a new skill, or taking up a new hobby can all lead to increased resilience
Dementia is not part of the ageing process. It is caused by different diseases. These diseases affect different parts of the brain, so they affect people in different ways. By making a couple of changes to improve your health, it’s likely you’ll be reducing your dementia risk too.
For more information, please visit Alzheimers Research UK
Carers are very welcome to join our Caring for the Carers coffee, chat and information sessions on the first Friday of every month at Glaven Caring centre, 10am to 12 noon.