Reducing the Risk of Alzheimer's Disease for Seniors in Aspen Hill, MD

At Visiting Angels, not only do our in-home care services include Alzheimer's care, but they include the support needed to help seniors in Aspen Hill, Silver Spring, Laurel and surrounding Maryland communities develop healthy lifestyle choices and minimize their risk of Alzheimer's disease

Unfortunately, a lot of people get diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in their senior years. These older adults gradually forget who their loved ones are and how to engage in their favorite activities. As the illness progresses, they eventually need professional in-home care services or have to relocate to a memory care facility so they could stay safe and comfortable.

The cure for Alzheimer's still hasn't been found. However, there are several lifestyle changes your loved one could make in order to reduce their risk of Alzheimer's disease. At Visiting Angels of Aspen Hill, we provide the care needed to help seniors stick to healthy lifestyle choices so they can stay independent for longer. Here are some ways to promote good brain health and keep personal risk factors under control.

Mental Stimulation

Various mentally stimulating activities can boost your parent's brain health and improve their cognitive functioning. In fact, a National Institute of Health (NIH) ACTIVE study showed that seniors who engaged in at least 10 sessions of mental training improved their cognitive functioning months after the training and showed long-lasting improvements a decade later.

In order to reduce their risk of Alzheimer's disease, our in-home care services can encourage your loved one to learn something new, practice memorization with them or keep them engaged in stimulating activities like strategy games and puzzles by providing meaningful companionship.

Regular Exercise

Regular exercise can reduce your loved one's risk of developing Alzheimer's by up to 50 percent, according to a study from the Alzheimer's Research & Prevention Foundation. Since developing a workout routine can help your parent by training their brain to make new connections, as well as controlling their cholesterol levels and blood pressure, they should consider including at least 150 minutes of exercise into their weekly schedule. Seniors should focus on a combination of cardio and strength training, as well as balance and coordination activities.

Our caregivers can help your loved one stick to a regular exercise routine. Our in-home care services include providing transportation to places like local gyms and community centers in order to give your loved one an outlet where they can get their needed exercise.

Eat Healthy

Simple lifestyle changes such as avoiding processed foods and eating plenty of omega-3 fats, fruits and vegetables can do wonders for your parent's health and help them avoid Alzheimer's disease. Our in-home care services can ensure your loved one maintains a well-balanced diet and eats fresh and healthy meals that contain the brain-healthy nutrients they need by helping your loved one plan and prepare meals, go grocery shopping for healthy ingredients and more.

Stay Socially Active

Staying socially engaged keeps the brain healthy, so encourage your loved one to stay in touch with people they care about and make new friends. They can join a book club, chat with friends and family over the phone or volunteer with local organizations.

In addition, our in-home care services can promote social interaction. We can take your loved one to outings with friends, provide companionship and conversation and teach them how to use social media through our Social Care program.

Get Some Good Sleep

Not getting enough sleep can also be a risk factor. If your parent has trouble falling asleep every night, they should consider removing electronic devices from their bedroom, sticking to a regular sleep schedule and trying to adopt a relaxing bedtime ritual such as taking a relaxing bath, reading or stretching.

If your loved one could use some extra support in getting a good night's sleep, Visiting Angels of Aspen Hill can help. We work around your loved one's schedule, not the other way around. That means our caregivers can help out at night with relaxing before bed and making sure they don't wake up and wander around in the middle of the night.

Stress Management

Frequent stress can increase your loved one's chance of Alzheimer's because it can lead to shrinkage in a key memory area in their brain and interfere with nerve cell growth. Your loved one should develop healthy stress management techniques, like going for a walk or meditating. Even taking deep breaths can help your loved one feel more relaxed.

At Visiting Angels, we offer professional in-home care services that can help seniors in Aspen Hill, Silver Spring, Laurel, Bethesda, Colesville and surrounding areas of Maryland reduce their risk of developing Alzheimer's. If you want to learn more about our care options, contact our office in Silver Spring, MD.