Just in case you found our first good advice blog helpful for the prevention of dementia, here’s “the rest of the story”:
• Minimize your use of alcohol and drugs. I haven’t read any research that lends empirical evidence to a link between alcohol and drugs and dementia, but I’ve certainly worked with some folks with dementia who have a history of alcoholism or drug use. And while I’m not inferring that the alcohol or drugs are to blame for the dementia, I do see that their manifestation of the symptoms of dementia are not pleasant, and seem to make the person living with dementia very unsettled. So I say it’s worth it to limit the use of mind-altering substances; for sure, don’t overdo it with any of them.
• Don’t smoke or use tobacco products. There is plenty of evidence that links tobacco use with the risk for strokes, and a history of strokes presents a risk for developing Vascular Dementia. Never mind the various other negative impacts that tobacco makes on our bodies.
• Go to a professional counselor. Specifically, if there are old hurts, old traumas, tough hardships in your history, go work through them. It’s an interesting phenomenon that folks with dementia often go back to old traumas, old hurts, and parts of life that haven’t been dealt with when dementia is taking hold. And sometimes they get stuck in these old places. Dementia specialists can help create an environment that supports the processing or grief that may become necessary, but it’s still a hard season for the person with dementia, and their care companions. So we might as well do our best to deal with our old stuff now.
• Make it a point to notice, and experience beauty. Take the time, literally, to smell the roses. Or savor in the memories as you look over a family photo album. Notice the birds when you go outside for a walk…their songs, their colors, how they flit from place to place. And breathe deeply. And breathe deeply often.
• If you’re in a situation where you are providing care for someone else, remember that it’s ok to “tap out”, get some help, admit your inability to be everything to everyone. And get help in these ways also:
• Learn about dementia and how to get it right (thedawnmethod.com).
• Attend the Care Partner classes taught by Dementia Friendly Communities of Northern Colorado and attend their activities with your companion with dementia, for the benefit of both of you (https://dementiafriendlycommunitiesnoco.org/)
• Access caregiver support resources through your local Office on Aging
• Check out books from the library on audio about caregiving and listen to them while you’re running errands.
• Check out audio books for free from the library (https://www.hoopladigital.com/) and listen to books by authors you love while you’re cleaning house, driving from place to place, etc. The person in your care will likely enjoy listening also.
Well, that’s enough for now. But please remember that while these are all good steps we can take to reduce our risk of developing dementia, we still yet do not have a cure or fail-proof prevention strategy for dementia. No one asks for dementia. So let’s just do our best; that’s what we’re all doing anyway; just doing our best from day to day.
With you in trying to do my best,
Jill
