Reducing the Risk of Dementia – Healthy Body, Healthy Mind

One of the questions we’re often asked here at Waltham House, Care Home is “can Dementia can be prevented?” The simple answer is no. Factors such as genetics and age play a huge part in the development of dementia. But the good news is, there are lots of proactive things you can do to reduce the risk and help keep a healthy mind and body well into old age.

Healthy Body, Healthy Mind

The relationship between body and mind is never more important than in your senior years. Staying active and looking after yourself is the greatest gift you can give yourself. Don’t worry, we’re not suggesting for one minute you train for the next marathon or become a chess master. But by taking a few simple steps, your mind and body’s health can be improved dramatically.

Stay Active

The smallest amount of movement in the body can be of great benefit. This could be a gentle walk around the garden, simply moving your feet and arms from a seated position or if you’re feeling a little more ambitious, swimming and yoga are great, low impact ways to keep the body moving.

Healthy Eating

It’s certainly a big ask to expect anyone to change the habits of a lifetime, but healthy eating doesn’t have to be the shock to the system one might think. Eating a well balanced and nutritional diet is key to everyone’s health, regardless of age. Try adding an extra vegetable to your evening meal or reducing the number of sugars you take from two to one. It’s these small changes that will have the biggest impact.

Brain Boosters

There’s no denying that keeping the mind active is one of the most important factors in combating dementia. Reading daily is a great way to keep the cogs turning, as are crosswords and and word-searches. Why not ask the grandkids to show you some puzzle games on their mobile devices, they can often be much easier to use than you’d expect and are great fun!

Am I doing enough?

There are lots of other things you might want to consider to help reduce the risk of dementia. Having a healthy heart is key. As well as healthy eating and exercise, stopping smoking and reducing your alcohol intake are also vital. The NHS website has some great information on ways to help with this.

Loneliness and lack of social interaction are often noted as contributing factors to dementia onset; did you know we offer day services for the elderly here at Waltham House, Grimsby? You can chose to drop by for a couple of hours or spend the day. Take part in our full programme of social and entertainment activities while meeting new people and staying active.