Many people see the elderly as having nothing but time on their hands, so they don’t have to worry about them having a hobby to keep them busy. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. With the right in-home care activities, older adults have the opportunity to maintain healthy cognitive function and prevent the onset of cognitive impairment.

What is Cognitive Impairment?

According to NIH, cognitive impairment is a gradual decline in mental function that can include memory loss, language difficulty, and a decline in reasoning and judgment. It’s common among older adults, but it’s not inevitable. Most people who experience it do so as a result of several conditions, including age, stroke, and other diseases.

Maintaining a Healthy Cognitive Function

For many seniors, cognitive impairment is inevitable. However, with the right activities, they can enjoy their golden years without losing their mental faculties.

It is important to remember that the brain is a muscle that requires exercise in order to stay healthy. By engaging in various activities, older adults can prevent the onset of cognitive impairment and avoid living in a state of depression.

What Kind of Activities Should Seniors Participate in?

Maintaining a healthy cognitive function is important for those who are looking to maintain their independence. Maintaining cognitive ability can result in a better quality of life and can also help to prevent the onset of chronic illnesses. By participating in a wide variety of activities, seniors can stave off cognitive impairment and maintain independence.

1. Exercising the Brain

Exercise is one of the most important things that seniors can do to maintain a healthy cognitive function. With the right exercise, seniors can prevent the onset of cognitive impairment and stave off depression.

Neurodegeneration is the loss of brain cells and the death of neurons due to various factors. As a result, the brain is incapable of producing new cells and is unable to recover from the effects of stress and aging.

Physical activity helps to prevent neurodegeneration by increasing blood flow, which is essential to the brain and to the body. In addition, physical activity increases levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is essential to the health of brain cells.

2. Hobbies

One of the best ways to ensure that people of all ages stay active is to encourage them to engage in various hobbies. Hobbies can be beneficial in many ways, including helping to fight depression and keep people active.

By encouraging seniors to engage in various hobbies, they can maintain their independence and prevent the onset of cognitive impairment.

3. Healthy Diet

Eating a healthy diet is just as important for your senior’s body as it is for their brain. Eating a lot of processed food can impair their cognitive functions. There are some studies that show that drinking small amounts of alcohol can actually protect the brain from the effects of aging. But drinking too much alcohol can actually lead to cognitive impairment.

Conclusion

In-home care will keep your seniors active and healthy while keeping their independence. We offer the best available care to your seniors! Give us a call today!

Sources

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/cognitive-health-and-older-adults

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4587595/

https://www.cdc.gov/aging/pdf/cognitive_impairment/cogimp_poilicy_final.pdf

If you or an aging loved one is considering in-home care in Plymouth, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.