Dementia is basically the reduction in a person’s cognitive, emotional and social abilities. The disease increasingly reduces the functionality of memory and other thinking abilities, making it more and more difficult for the person affected to carry out everyday activities and obligations. Dementia is a term for many different degenerative and non-degenerative diseases of the brain. Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease, is the most common cause of dementia, followed by vascular dementia, which can often occur after a stroke.
Symptoms
The symptoms of dementia can be very different. However, dementia mainly affects the mental functions. An underlying disease particularly affects memory, concentration and attention.
As the disease progresses, logical thinking and judgement are increasingly reduced. The patient also gradually loses the ability to communicate. Languages are no longer fluent and often the patient is unable to form clear sentences and confuses the meaning of many words.
Visual perception also deteriorates as the dementia progresses. People with dementia also have problems with short-term memory and continue to lose control over everyday life. Due to the continuous worsening of the disease, it becomes more and more difficult for those affected to cope with everyday life.
They forget appointments, can no longer cope in their familiar surroundings and at some point are no longer able to take care of themselves. First signs of dementia should therefore not be ignored. After all, it is particularly difficult for those affected when they notice that they forget the simplest things.
Depression often comes on top of this, and the patients initially find it difficult to accept help from outside. Good planning on how they can remain largely independent in the future, but still get the help they need, is extremely important in such a situation. An early diagnosis is very important for the planning of the treatment options and for a better acceptance of the new situation by the patients.
Preventing dementia
Every third person in Germany suffers from dementia on average after the age of 60 due to Alzheimer’s. Due to this high rate of illness, many people want to know how to prevent dementia. In spite of increasingly advanced medicine, it is not yet possible to prevent dementia or Alzheimer’s disease with medication.
Therefore, it is recommended to take unspecific prophylaxis. Its aim is to strengthen the resistance of the brain against the disease process and to train the abilities of the brain. Thus, prophylaxis is closely related to a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
Physical activity
Being active in sports, even at an advanced age, has shown in several studies that it has a very positive effect. Regular physical activity probably reduces the incidence of dementia by half. In addition, sport promotes physical fitness and improves the quality of life.
Sport also ensures a balanced lifestyle and mood. Elderly people can take care of themselves very gently by regularly cycling, swimming, walking or doing gymnastics appropriate to their age. Many group courses supervised by experienced trainers are offered for this purpose. There you will find some offers which are also adapted to the age.
