If you are an adult in midlife with older parents, you know that there may come a time when you will need to make decisions for them because of their health. At any given time, between five and seven percent of the population has a form of dementia in the United States. Once an adult reaches 85 years old, he or she has between a 1 in 4 and a 1 in 2 chance of developing some form of dementia….
If you have a loved one who has recently been diagnosed with dementia, you may be going through the process of preparing to become a primary caregiver for that individual. As you step into your new role, here are a few things to remember: It Will Get Worse: Unfortunately, Dementia is progressive by definition, and while your loved one is occasionally forgetful now, they’ll have more trouble in the future. At some point, your loved one may not be able…
The old saying goes that you are only as old as you feel. Of course, insisting that you are still young will not prevent all of the effects of aging. Sticking to the habits you kept when you were young will not prevent wrinkles or gray hair. No matter your state of physical health, staying intellectually and socially active can slow the progression of dementia. Retired people who are physically healthy have plenty of options for keeping their minds sharp,…