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News on hormone replacement and dementia
The U.S. Preventive Services Taskforce weighs the risks and benefits of screening and therapies aimed at preventing illness. Based on the revised analysis by the Women’s Health Initiative study, the taskforce found limited evidence that hormone replacement protects against bone fractures and no evidence that hormone replacement reduces the risk of heart disease. “It also found that for most menopausal women taking home therapy, the risk of developing dementia later in life actually rose a bit.” The Women’s Health Initiative studied more than 160,000 women over a 15-year period. That study initially linked hormone replacement therapy with a higher rate of invasive breast cancer. Since then, more analyses of the study occurred. In summary, based on subsequent analysis, for those women who are past menopause and healthy, the taskforce recommendation is to avoid taking hormone replacement therapy if you are taking the hormones with the goal of avoiding dementia, bone fractures or heart disease. So, it appears that the best […]
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Weight and brain health.
According to some recent studies, being overweight can affect your brain health. Apparently, the brain shrinks more and ages faster when you are overweight. In one study, they compared the same aged people. Some had a body mass index of below 25 and some had a body mass index of between 25 to 30 (overweight). The overweight people had “4 percent less brain tissue and their brains looked eight years older.” Brains of people with a body mass index of over 30 (obese) had “8 percent less tissue and looked 16 years older.” Less tissue means less reserves, which “puts people at a higher risk of dementia” – including Alzheimer’s disease. To calculate your body mass index (BMI), the formula is weight (lb) divided by [height (inches) x height (inches)], then multiplied by 703. Here’s an example: Someone who is 5’6″ (5’6″ = 66″) and weights 160 lb has a BMI of 25.8. The calculation is: 160 / (66 x […]
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More Foods And Vitamins To Keep Your Memory Sharp
There are certain foods and vitamins recommended in order to keep your brain functioning better.  Of course, eats lots of fruits and vegetables every day is advised for overall health, too, but here are some specifics that go beyond the basic fruits and vegetables. The foods to add to your diet include salmon, eggs, kale, blueberries, and mustard. Canned tuna, trout, sardines, walnuts, avocados, olive oil, canola oil and flaxseeds are also included in the list. The seasoning to add is tumeric. The vitamins to add daily include DHA Omega-3 and vitamin D-3. Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen recommend taking 900 mg of the DHA Omega-3 because “your brain is 60 percent fat and half of that is DHA, which keeps your brain cells flexible, fluid, and communicating well. DHA also fights memory loss.” They say, “Your body can’t make DHA, so you have to get it from food and supplements.” If you are concerned about fish toxins, there […]
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Helping You Find The Right Senior Housing Option Is Our Pleasure
There is nothing more satisfying than to help a family locate the right senior housing option for their loved one. Whether they have plenty of time or there is a need to rush the search, we have helped so many seniors find a housing arrangement suitable for them. When your loved one can benefit from some level of assistance in their daily activities, it is important to find just the right level of assistance with the future in mind. And matching interests and accommodations are important, too. Some seniors remain quite active and prefer a setting conducive to wide variety of activities. Other seniors prefer a more sedate or social setting. Some settings offer more independence than others do, some allow pets, some offer some medical care. Offering our expertise in senior housing options and senior resources in the area as well as our familiarity with current vacancies, we help families make informed decisions. We know how to narrow your […]
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More on lowering your risk of dementia
A recent study at the Oregon Health and Science University has shown that persons over 80 with higher levels of certain vitamins and fatty acids performed better on cognitive tests and had less brain shrinkage associated with Alzheimer’s disease. And a University of Miami study showed that there was less small blood vessel damage in the brain when eating a certain diet. The Mayo Clinic studies have shown that better brain health is related to eating a fewer than 2,150 calories a day. And avoiding trans fats helps brain health, too. Other studies elsewhere have shown similar findings. All in all, the key to decreasing the risk of dementia seems to be to eat a balanced diet. And, while they do more studies, there are some general tips we can pass on. Without going into all the scientific findings and supporting data, the list of brain healthy foods includes beans, green peas, citrus fruits, sweet peppers, strawberries, cantaloupes, tomatoes, broccoli, […]
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Benefits of berries
After recently reading the third article on the benefits of eating berries as related to slowing the progression of cognitive decline in women, I felt I should pass this information along to our A Caring Heart blog readers. A study published in the Annals of Neurology found women with a higher berry intake delayed cognitive aging by up to 2.5 years. Dr. Devore from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston explains that the flavonoids found in plants are high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. In particular, blueberries and strawberries are a rich source of anthocyanidins, a type of flavonoid, “which are known to cross from the blood into the brain and locate in the parts involved in learning and memory.” Flavonoids are also thought to decrease the “effects of stress and inflammation that could contribute to cognitive decline.”  The study indicated that a simple dietary adjustment to include one half to one cup of […]
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Comforting News For Long Term Care Budget
There is good news for adult family homes and other long term care programs in Washington . . . and it could have been much worse for assisted living centers. The Washington State budget passed this week with essentially good news for state-funded long term care.  Some programs surprisingly received a little more money, one program was spared, and another program received a minimal rate cut. All in all, long term care providers and families who have loved ones in one of the long term care settings were relieved. The Family Caregiver Support program received a slight increase in funding. With the increase, the program can continue to provide training, counseling and respite care for unpaid caregivers. And, due to the passing of Initiative 1163, more funding was approved for the program to train long term care workers so they can receive the required additional training. Assisted living centers received a 2 percent rate cut. The general opinion is […]
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Delay the need for assisted living and memory care units.
With the research advances focused on dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, there may be a way to delay the need for assisted living and memory care units. There have been numerous studies showing that eating healthy can help your brain stay healthy, too. Some of the wholesome foods that lead to a healthier brain to reduce your risk of a dementia include beans and green peas, citrus, sweet peppers, strawberries, cantaloupes, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, almonds, avocados and some oils, leafy greens, cabbage, cauliflower, certain fish, spinach, collards, caffeinated coffee, and tumeric, eggs, and some fortified foods in combination with sunlight. Turns out it is beneficial to eat a balanced diet that is low in trans fats. One study showed that eating a Mediterranean diet that included “vegetables, fruits, small amounts of meat and fish, whole grains, nuts, olive oil and moderate amounts of alcohol” decreased the occurrence of small blood vessel damage in the brain. The beans and green peas […]
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Alzheimer’s Disease News
We know that assisted living is necessary for a variety of reasons, any of which result in loss of independence. One of the reasons someone might benefit from assisted living is because they are suffering from a dementia, which includes Alzheimer’s disease. When the dementia is advanced, there may be a time when a memory care unit is the assisted living housing option best suited to meet the significant needs. Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for about 75 percent of the cases of dementia, is on the national news. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, “about 200,000 Americans younger than 65 are among the 5.4 million Americans with the disease” and they estimate about the same statistics for those with other types of dementia. This means about one half million Americans, some as young as in their 20s, have early-onset or younger-onset dementia. Every 72 seconds, a new case of Alzheimer’s is diagnosed in the United States. That number is high because […]
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Assisted Living As Your Housing Option Can Be A Positive Experience Regardless Of Your Age
There is proof that choosing assisted living as your housing option can be a positive experience. Just consider a recent article about a woman who was living in an assisted living facility. She will be 100 years old this year — just like the Girl Scouts organization. Obvious by the interview, her assisted living experience hasn’t slowed her down a bit. She remains independent with a “can-do” attitude. It appears she attributed her independence from her 87 years of scouting; saying, “You learn how to be independent, work well with others, and later on in life it will be with you.” Among the reasons why she has thrived in assisted living and retained so many long time friends are those attributes and her great sense of humor. According to the article, she started her Girl Scout experience in 1925 as a Brownie. The Girl Scouts organization had been in existence for thirteen years. After working her way through brownies, cadets, […]
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