dementia – thirdAGE

Brain Health and Multivitamins

A new Harvard study, COSMOS 2, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, has shown that taking a multivitamin for one year was associated with improved memory and cognition equivalent to reversing age-related memory loss by three years. The randomized clinical trial, which included 3,500 participants aged 60 and over, was the second COSMOS… Continue reading Brain Health and Multivitamins

Tips for Changes in Communication and Behavior for People With Dementia

Communication can be hard for people with Alzheimer’s and related dementias because they have trouble remembering things. They also can become agitated and anxious, even angry. In some forms of dementia, language abilities are affected such that people have trouble finding the right words or have difficulty speaking. You may feel frustrated or impatient, but… Continue reading Tips for Changes in Communication and Behavior for People With Dementia

End-of-Life Care for People With Dementia

People often live for years with dementia. While it can be difficult to think of these diseases as terminal, they do eventually lead to death. Caregivers often experience special challenges surrounding the end of life of someone with dementia in part because the disease progression is so unpredictable. Below are some considerations for end-of-life care for people with dementia. Making… Continue reading End-of-Life Care for People With Dementia

Tips for a Healthy and Active Lifestyle for People With Dementia

Eating healthy and staying active is good for everyone and is especially important for people with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. As the disease progresses, finding ways for the person to eat healthy foods and stay active may be increasingly challenging. Here are some tips that may help: Consider different activities the person can do to… Continue reading Tips for a Healthy and Active Lifestyle for People With Dementia

Can I Prevent Dementia?

A risk factor is something that may increase the chance of developing a disease. Some risk factors can be controlled while others cannot. For example, a person is not able to control their age, which is the greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Another uncontrollable risk factor is a person’s genes. Genes… Continue reading Can I Prevent Dementia?

Memory and Aging

Many older adults worry about their memory and other thinking abilities. For example, they might be concerned about taking longer than before to learn new things, or they may sometimes forget to pay a bill. These changes are usually signs of mild forgetfulness — often a normal part of aging — not serious memory problems.… Continue reading Memory and Aging

The Risk of Generosity

Older adults’ willingness to give away money is associated with decreased cognitive function, according to a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. These results suggest that an increase in this behavior, known as financial altruism, could be linked to the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The stud, funded by the National Institute on… Continue reading The Risk of Generosity

Is It Just Forgetfulness?

Many people become worried about forgetfulness as they age. Mild forgetfulness, such as losing things from time to time, can be a normal part aging. Consider these techniques to help manage memory and changes in memory: *Start and follow a daily routine *Stay in activities that help both mind and body *Get enough sleep, generally… Continue reading Is It Just Forgetfulness?

Ultra-Processed Food and Dementia

People who eat the highest amounts of ultra-processed foods like soft drinks, chips and cookies may have a higher risk of developing dementia than those who eat the lowest amounts, according to a new study published in the July 27, 2022, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Researchers… Continue reading Ultra-Processed Food and Dementia

How Doctors Can Help Preserve Patients’ Brain Health

Primary care clinics can play an important role in preserving patients’ brain health using the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 as a guide, as well as addressing six other factors associated with cognitive decline, according to a new American Stroke Association/American Heart Association Scientific Statement, “A Primary Care Agenda for Brain Health. “ The… Continue reading How Doctors Can Help Preserve Patients’ Brain Health

Healthy Habits Can Reduce Dementia Risk Despite Genetic Factor

Adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors can lower dementia risk among people who are at higher risk due to a family history of dementia, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health Conference 2021. Familial dementia is a strong risk factor for dementia. Having a first-degree relative such as… Continue reading Healthy Habits Can Reduce Dementia Risk Despite Genetic Factor

Basics of Caregiving for Dementia Patients

A caregiver, sometimes referred to as a caretaker, refers to anyone who provides care for another person. Millions of people living in the United States take care of a friend or family member with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. Sometimes caregivers live with the person or nearby, other times they live far away. For… Continue reading Basics of Caregiving for Dementia Patients

Stop Wondering if You Are a “Good Caregiver”

Loving and caring for someone with dementia can be challenging. Perhaps, it is one of the most challenging struggles one will ever encounter. No one can predict if or when their loved one, especially a parent, will be diagnosed with dementia. But, in a blink of an eye, it happens. Without much warning, our world… Continue reading Stop Wondering if You Are a “Good Caregiver”

Talking with Kids about Alzheimer’s

When a family member has Alzheimer’s disease, it affects everyone in the family, including children and grandchildren. It’s important to talk to them about what is happening. How much and what kind of information you share depends on the child’s age and relationship to the person with Alzheimer’s. Here are some tips from the National… Continue reading Talking with Kids about Alzheimer’s

Living Alone with Early-Stage Dementia

Many people with early-stage dementia can manage living alone. But without adequate precaution, this can be difficult even at the best of times, and the COVID – 19 pandemic makes the situation harder. If a patient is convinced that he or she can live alone, caregivers need to check frequently on their loved one to… Continue reading Living Alone with Early-Stage Dementia

Intensive Blood Pressure Control and Dementia

Intensive blood pressure lowering has an impact on mild cognitive impairment (MCI) but doesn’t lessen dementia risk, according to the final results of two large, federally funded studies. The peer-reviewed findings of the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) Memory and Cognition in Decreased Hypertension (SPRINT MIND) were published on Jan. 28, 2019 in the… Continue reading Intensive Blood Pressure Control and Dementia

Some Dementia-Test Results May Be Biased

Quick tests known as “brief cognitive assessments” help doctors decide whether a patient should be given a full evaluation for dementia. But the results can be misleading. Three tests examined in the study were the Mini-Mental Stats Examination, which analyzes orientation to time and place and the ability to remember words; the Memory Impairment Screen,… Continue reading Some Dementia-Test Results May Be Biased