Regular Activities For Dementia Patients, Good Nutrition Improves Dementia -By Dr.Bhatia & Saunri-29th August 2020
Introduction
Being diagnosed with dementia disease is not like being given a death sentence. If diagnosed early, dementia patients can take medications and change their lifestyle to slow down their cognitive decline and live fruitful and productive lives as far as possible. A study published in 2016 found that activities for dementia patients such as exercise, interventions of diet, juice, supplements, etc, and change in lifestyle considerably help to improve the symptoms of dementia disease and can even reduce the number of medicines that dementia patients have to take.
Self-care
Dementia patients need to take self-care by ensuring that he/she starts living an active and healthy lifestyle. A study in 2015 found that drinking alcohol frequently increased the risk of dementia. A patient with dementia disease must avoid alcohol and smoking tobacco.
Physical Exercise
Increasing evidence has shown that among activities for dementia patients, physical exercise plays a very important role in maintaining neural plasticity. Besides, increases exercise leads to more production of BDNF, which is an important molecule for maintaining plasticity in the brain, especially when you have dementia disease. A paper published in 2013 in Geriatrics and Gerontology International found that multimodal exercise intervention led to increasing frontal cognitive functions in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Even though dementia patients may not be in a mood to exercise, their caregivers should ensure that their dementia patients must take at least short walks during the day.
Food and Nutrition
Vitamin and nutrient deficiencies contribute to dementia disease. Older individuals have lower appetites and have a higher risk of vitamin, nutrient deficiency, and malnutrition. A review paper published in 2019 reported that proper intake of folate, vitamin E, omega 3 fatty acids, can act as a dietary intervention for the treatment of dementia patients.
Cognitive Rehabilitation
Along with medications prescribed by their doctor, dementia patients should also undergo cognitive rehabilitation. A paper published in 2013 in Alzheimer’s Research And Therapy found that cognitive training and cognitive rehabilitation proved to be a successful intervention to treat mild and to moderate dementia disease. Even crosswords and puzzles are good activities for dementia patients.
Tips for caregivers:
Dementia disease may make dementia patients aggressive and irritable and some of their behaviors may upset their caregivers. Caregivers can ensure better relations with the patients by :
- By asking simple questions and avoiding complicated ones.
- Ensuring a daily routine, so as not to confuse the dementia patients.
- Avoid arguments
- Give simple tasks or activities for dementia patients, such as folding clothes, so that they feel that they are being useful, etc
- Caregivers of patients with dementia disease should themselves take proper rest, engage in leisure activities and occasionally take breaks, to refresh themselves.
In conclusion, living with dementia disease is not always easy, both for dementia patients as well as their caregivers, however, appropriate health and immunity measures, building better relationships between the patient and caregiver, and regular activities for dementia patients, etc, will help to keep both dementia patients and their caregivers happy and make living with dementia disease easier.
To seek help or know more about activities and care for dementia disease patients, you can visit the Neurology and Sleep Centre, the 1st sleep centre in the country accredited by Indian Board of Sleep Medicine at L-23, Hauz Khas Enclave, New Delhi, Delhi-110016 (INDIA)
Or give a call on +91-11-46070321, +91-9643500270,
Or write toinfo@neurologysleepcentre.com
