How to Manage Cognitive Decline in Seniors
For adults to have cognitive decline they tend to forget things easily and are slow in processing things. In more detail, cognitive decline is the reduction in one or more cognitive abilities such as awareness, memory, judgement and mental acuity. It can come up suddenly or gradually and can be temporary or more permanent. Cognitive decline is also called cognitive impairment, it can range from mild impairment to dementia.
Symptoms and signs of cognitive decline in seniors
The signs associated with cognitive decline would shock you because you could be thinking they are normal. Still, they are signs and symptoms associated with cognitive decline if consistent which include forgetting recent conversations, appointments, dates, and events, losing the sense of direction and feeling overwhelmed by making decisions and plans, people around you tend to notice the changes.
Causes of cognitive decline in adult
Cognitive decline could be caused by several means, the most common causes include depression, smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
Other causes of cognitive decline are :
- Medication side effects: Medications such as tranquillizers, sedatives and anticholinergic medications are the most common and they interfere with brain function and affect muscle contractions in the body.
- Hormones: Imbalance in some hormones may affect cognitive function such as estrogen and other sex hormones.
- Delirium: It occurs due to rapid changes in brain function and other health problems in older people who are not hospitalised.
- Substance abuse: Chronic overuse of certain substances such as illicit drugs, and alcohol can impair brain function. Damage to brain neurons due to an injury. Head injuries are also associated with temporary or long-lasting cognitive impairment.
- Vitamin deficiency: low levels of B vitamins and folate can affect brain function.
- Toxins: toxins like heavy metals, air pollutants, contaminants in your drinking water, and pesticides.
How to manage the cognitive decline in adult
- Develop a follow-up plan: Review the patient prescription
- Evaluate behavioural problems: Make an appointment for a follow-up visit. Communicate with the patient, and ensure all treatment plans are understood by the patient.
- A support plan should be made up for the patient: Support plans include daily to-do lists, regular exercise, a healthy diet, and social activities.
Conclusion
To correctly manage adults with cognitive decline, they’ve to be physically engaged in activities such as reading books and magazines, playing board games, going to museums, and playing musical instruments all to help reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Exercise helps by improving your mood, a healthy diet should be taken regularly, social activity, hobbies, and intellectual stimulation, which may help slow cognitive decline should be part of a daily routine and refer the person and caregiver to national and community resources, including support groups. It is important that the caregiver learns about and uses respite care.
At Applied Home Health Network, we offer respite care services that provide a support care system for our caregivers to relieve the primary home care provider of their duties. Our In-home offers specialized care for patients with cognitive decline.
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