The American Heart Association recently published a study that indicates that there might be a link between women that have early menopause and their risk of suffering from dementia later on in life.
Early menopause was defined as prior to the age of 40. When compared to women who began menopause at age 50, the younger population was 35 percent more likely to have some sort of dementia later on in life.
This increased risk of dementia covered most types, including Alzheimer’s, which is the most common type of dementia. Interestingly, there was no relationship between early menopause and vascular dementia, which is the second most common type of dementia there is. This was true even though the likelihood of a stroke goes up significantly after menopause occurs. Although researchers are not a hundred percent sure why this link exists, being aware of it is an important first step toward preventing dementia later on in life.
Awareness allows people to better realize the risk that they face and then take steps toward preventing it. Although not all is understood about why some people get dementia and some don’t, researchers have outlined a number of things that can be done to lessen the likelihood that it will happen. A diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and low in red meat tends to reduce the likelihood of Alzheimer’s. An active exercise life can also reduce this risk, especially if 45 minutes or more per day of cardiovascular exercise is obtained.
If someone does have dementia, senior care becomes important. Memory care is an important type of senior care, but it’s one that not all caregivers or care services are fully qualified to provide. Before you choose a caregiver for a loved one, knowing what their background and experience is will be helpful.
This is one of the reasons why we try to be as transparent and open as possible when it comes to the care that we provide. We don’t hire a caregiver unless they pass our rigorous background check requirements. We provide them with full training before they ever start working in the field. If someone requires memory care, we ensure that the caregiver they are paired with has extensive experience and training in this area. Not only do we want to provide an excellent service, we believe that in-home care is a special kind of relationship between the person receiving care and the person providing. Making sure that the right person is assigned to the job is a crucial part of high quality care. After all, senior care is about more than just getting by. It should be about thriving where you are, regardless of the physical and mental aspects of why care is needed.
We’re here for you. Whether it’s care for a loved one suffering from dementia, or just a couple minutes to help answer some of your questions (or anything in between!) our caregivers would love to be of help. Give us a call, send an email, or comment below. Our goal is to help you reach your family’s care goals.
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