As a dementia specialist, I spend my days immersed in the realities of cognitive decline, witnessing firsthand the challenges faced by individuals and their families. This deep dive into the world of dementia has undoubtedly heightened my awareness, sometimes leading to fears about my own future, and that of my loved ones, given the increasing prevalence of dementia in our world. It can be incredibly hard to navigate this emotional landscape.
There is Always Hope
Amidst these concerns, I’ve found immense hope and motivation to actively reduce my own risks. The incredible neuroplasticity of the brain is a concept that truly inspires me. It’s the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life, allowing it to compensate for injury and disease and adjust its activities in response to new situations or changes in its environment. This means our brains are not static; they can adapt and grow. This gets to be more challenging as we age but it is still possible.
I constantly challenge myself to do and learn new things, embracing the power of neuroplasticity. For instance, I embarked on this journey of creating Senior Moments Consulting, which has been a considerable challenge for me – learning about business concepts, strategies, marketing and so much more. I am also working toward a bucket list item of learning to play guitar – thanks to a gift from my boys. It’s a fantastic mental workout, requiring coordination, memory, and sustained focus. It’s hard. I get frustrated. I see progress though – I am learning and developing new skills. My fingers move differently now, I have new muscle memory and it has become a socially engaging activity that helps maintain a bond with my 19 year old twins. I’m currently using online tutorials like those found on GoodGuitarist.com, which make learning accessible and fun. Beyond instruments, I also practice writing, brush my teeth, and use utensils with my non-dominant hand. These seemingly small actions are deliberate attempts to strengthen existing neural pathways and even create new ones, keeping my brain agile and adaptable. Here’s to hope, if nothing else.
Reducing Risk
Despite the complexities and the frightening aspects of dementia, I truly believe there is immense hope in actively reducing our risk. This isn’t about avoiding dementia at all costs, but about empowering ourselves to live healthier, more vibrant lives, and potentially delay or mitigate its effects.
What we can do to positive influence our brain health:
- Challenging our brains: Continuously engaging in movement and higher-level cognitive tasks, like learning an instrument or pursuing activities that incorporate as many areas of the brain as possible.
- Diet: Nourish your brain with wholesome, unprocessed foods. Consider increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables, reducing sugar and choosing foods that promote good gut health – probiotics, prebiotics and fiber.
- Manage medical conditions: Stay on top of other health issues like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. This can positively impact brain health.
- Sleep: Prioritize quality sleep for brain restoration. It’s not about how many hours you lie in bed, it’s about the quality of sleep you get. Consider a monitoring device or a sleep study. Is it possible that you have sleep apnea and are not breathing properly at night? Develop healthy sleep routines – limit screen time before bed, reduce negative visual and auditory input prior to bed time, create a calming routine in preop for sleep, maintain consistency in schedule bedtime and wake-up time, if necessary, take short naps vs long naps during the day. See below, concerns about the use of medications to aid sleep – how they may negatively impact your brain health.
- Stress reduction: We can’t always avoid stress. That would be ideal. When stress finds us we need to find healthy ways to manage it. This can significantly impact our cognitive health. Exercise, meditation, prayer, social activity, walking, fresh air, breathing exercises, singing, dancing are just a few examples that help to lower stress. What helps you to reduce your stress?
- Exercise: Engaging in regular physical activity for improved blood circulation, strength, and overall brain health. This can be in the form of walking, running, hiking, seated arm exercises, aerobics, yoga (chair or traditional), TaiChi, or even dancing.
- Social connections: Maintaining quality social connections is often taken for granted. The emphasis here is on quality. It’s not about how many friends you have. It’s about the quality relationship – the mutual sharing, the connection, feeling understood, validated and valued. Social isolation can be detrimental to cognitive well-being – we are social creatures by design. In addition to needing quality relationships to maintain good brain health, the people you have in your circle will also be those who are ready to support you, if and when brain change occurs.
In addition to what we can do to promote good brain health, we also need to be aware of the various factors that can contribute to cognitive decline. I’ve learned a great deal from experts like Dr. Reza Hosseini Ghomi, who recently highlighted the importance of exploring medications that could contribute to memory loss, specifically anticholinergic medications. This knowledge empowers me to advocate for myself and my clients to review medication lists with healthcare providers, seeking alternatives if necessary. See the link below to read more from Dr. Ghomi.
You’re Not Alone
I understand how overwhelming dementia can be, especially the nagging thought of “is it going to happen to me?” This fear is precisely why I am so passionate about supporting families and increasing community awareness and understanding. My hope is for all of us to feel more confident that if and when dementia happens, we will know what to do to support others and those around us will know how to support us. There is hope, and by taking proactive steps, we can build a more resilient future for ourselves and our communities. If you are worried, concerned or wondering how to support someone living with a dementia, I am here to support you.
Related Info & Links to Articles
Ageless Grace: A wonderful program that embodies a holistic approach to optimizing brain health. You can learn more about their 21 simple tools at agelessgrace.com. Their emphasis is on playful movement and cognitive engagement is safe, fun and challenging for anyone of any age. Check it out!
Dementia destroyed my father. Can I stop myself from getting it? (article from the Sunday Times)
The Anticholinergic Burden – LinkedIn post by Reza Hosseini Ghomi MD, MSE that describes the impact your medications may be having on your memory and what you might want to consider
Senior Moments Consulting 