Patient Daily Living

Who doesn’t enjoy playing a great game with their family or friends, or even by themselves? My favorite thing about board games is that they are ageless. Everyone from a 5 year old to a 95 year old can enjoy them.

Every time seniors play a card, board game or even computer game, they’re staying sharp—stimulating their brains and staving off the onset of dementia or even Alzheimer’s disease. This conclusion comes from long-time and recent studies that found that seniors who engage in mentally demanding leisure activities lowered their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia by as much as 75 percent.

Boredom is an important quality of life issue for many senior citizens. When it comes to elderly home care or assisted living facilities, family caregivers must ensure that the physical, mental and emotional needs of seniors are being met. Those taking care of parents at home must also strive to provide stimulating activities in order to prevent loved ones from sinking into a pit of depression that's hard to climb out of.

Call it what you will – pet therapy, pet-assisted therapy, or pets caring for elderly owners – the benefits of animal ownership for seniors have been documented and understood for decades. Pets help relieve stress, alleviate boredom and provide devotion and companionship for elders across the country.

Retirement communities now emphasize brain health to improve quality of life. At Front Porch, life isn’t spent in a rocking chair. 

An unfortunate reality is that unhealthy lifestyles lead to diseases like obesity, diabetes, and brain-related health problems, all of which increase the risk of stroke, dementia, and Alzheimer’s as well. The good news is that these conditions can be managed and even prevented by a healthy lifestyle.

There is no "magic pill" for your brain. It is part of a whole ecosystem that includes your body and all your surroundings—that means the artificial flavors, dyes and additives in your favorite junk food and the chemicals in the hair spray you just inhaled.

Brain health is today's hottest health topic. While research gives us more and more answers about what we can do to safeguard our brain health and significantly lower our risk for diseases such as Alzheimer's, the average person has little idea what exactly they can do.

Sleeplessness, loss of appetite and a worsening of medical conditions can all result from grieving.