Seven Neglected Areas That Sabotage Healthy Aging – P3

Memory concerns often cause anxiety for older adults and their families. They may, or may not, reflect decreases in thinking abilities.

This is when evaluation helps by providing a more objective measure of whether a person is cognitively impaired, and to what extent. Even more importantly, evaluation can uncover treatable causes of decreased brain function, such as medication side-effects, thyroid problems, and a variety of other problems, which are common in older adults. Remember that diabetes has a link to Alzheimer's disease.

People are often reluctant to have memory concerns evaluated because they are worried that it could be Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia. They also may believe that “nothing can be done.” It can help to tell people that we can often find ways to improve a person’s brain function, either by identifying and treating an underlying health problem or by encouraging the activities that promote brain health.

For more information:

• What’s Causing Your Memory Loss? It’s not necessarily Alzheimer’s
• Is It Really Dementia?
• How We Diagnose Dementia: The Practical Basics to Know
  

My blogs:

http://bobsdiabetes.blogspot.com/2015/04/alzheimers-disease-part-1.html

http://bobsdiabetes.blogspot.com/2015/04/alzheimers-disease-part-2.html

http://bobsdiabetes.blogspot.com/2015/04/alzheimers-disease-part-3.html

Number 3 of 8 blogs.