26 the guardians
The HEALTH | JULY , 2018
26 the guardians
Tips for caregivers of Alzheimer ’ s disease
DETERIORATING very long time and gradually is a decade long investment on the caregivers .
University of Malaya Faculty of Medicine , Department of Medicine director Professor Dr Tan Maw Ping stressed that for patients with Alzheimer ’ s , what makes a difference is caregiving .
“ These are ingrained in us as parents of a young child . It just need to be translated to someone who is losing
CREDIT : HALABEDI . EUS ability and try to promote the independence and the routine , so that they can become very functional throughout their disease .”
“ Do everything to promote their self-worth and independence . Talk openly to parents who have dementia even in the presence of friends that they would follow suite .”
“ In many cases , their friends would join along and take the parent with dementia out and walk along ,” she said .
She stressed that caregivers need to have confidence that it is not shame on the family , that dementia is a normal condition and that the person is very there even if they forget .
“ If they forget to eat , remind them to eat and eat with them , so that they would follow suite rather than force them to eat .”
“ If they forget to use the toilet , rather than put them in diapers , help them recognise the sensation and go to the toilet . They would probably need to pre-empt and remind them that they need to go to the toilet ; perhaps half-anhour after a cup of coffee .”
“ Once it becomes a routine , they would go to the toilet themselves at the same time every day whether they have the urge or not .”
CREDIT : ORGANIC LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
Food to prevent from Alzheimer ’ s disease
HERE are foods that may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer ’ s disease .
• Omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish , walnuts , flaxseed and olive oil .
Higher risk of Alzheimer ’ s for person ’ s 60 above
Alzheimer ’ s disease is a neuro degenerative condition which progresses very slowly .
Dance away to good health
DANCING has been proven to help in reducing stress , anxiety and insomnia . A study published in the journal Gerontology said that a few weeks of salsa dance classes can seriously increase an older adult ’ s strength and balance . In addition , older adults with knee and hip discomfort may want to swap their pain medications for dancing shoes which inadvertently helps in move around unassisted . Meanwhile , people with chronic heart failure may derive the same aerobic health advantages from learning how to waltz .
However , it ’ s important to always check with a doctor before embarking on a rigorous dancing regime .
Dr Tan Maw Ping .
LZHEIMER ’ S disease is quite
A common in Malaysia with an estimated 100,000 dementia sufferers . University of Malaya Faculty of Medicine , Department of Medicine director Professor Dr Tan Maw Ping highlighted that population wise , the chances of getting dementia for persons 60 years and below is very low .
“ Unless a person has an inherited form of dementia which is very rare , the likelihood of getting dementia is very small . However , the minute a person turns 60 , the risk of dementia increases dramatically . By 80 , the risk of getting dementia is 20 per cent , so one in five persons over 80 has dementia .”
She explained that Alzheimer ’ s disease is actually a form of dementia where the older person experiences deterioration in not just memory but also other parts of their brain function .
“ They might have altered moods , problems with speaking which eventually leads to losing the ability to do things for themselves .”
“ Alzheimer ’ s disease is a neuro degenerative condition which progresses very slowly . A person who has lived for seven years after the diagnosis deteriorate very slowly over that time , so they need a lot of care , support and treatment .”
There are other types of dementia ; strokes can cause dementia known as vascular dementia while Lewy body dementia is linked to Parkinson ’ s disease .
“ Those types of dementia , the patients tend not to have such a prolonged cause of disease which is why it has less attention on itself .”
• Foods rich in vitamin C like red peppers , currants , broccoli and strawberries and vitamin E such as almonds .
• Flavonoid-rich fruits such as apples , blueberries , cranberries , grapefruit , asparagus , Brussels sprouts , cabbage , garlic , kale , kidney and lima beans , onions , peas and spinach .
• Studies on curry powder which contains curcumin have shown to boost brain performance .
• Folate from foods like dark leafy greens and dried beans to slow cognitive decline .
• One French study showed that drinking 4-ounce glasses of wine per day reduced the risk of Alzheimer ’ s disease by 75 per cent .
Umami increases food taste for elderly
JAPAN may be the first country that faced an “ elderly boom ,” but this segment of the population is increasing all around the world . From France , where a quarter of the population is over 60 years of age to the countries of Southeast Asia , where the average reached 9.6 per cent in 2016 , the world is turning its attention to the care of its most senior members .
According to Ajinomoto Company , Japan has spearheaded the concept of the healthy lifespan of nurturing the idea of longevity where the elderly can be happy , active , productive and self-sufficient . However , countries like Thailand , Vietnam and Indonesia are considering how to keep food appetising for their elderly members who experience a decrease in appetite .
Umami , the basic taste of monosodium glutamate ( MSG ), may help by increasing the palatability of food which encourages greater uptake of nutrition . It helps digestion of protein , such as by regulating salivation and gastric juice and helps stimulate viscous salivation which helps with swallowing and relieves “ dry mouth .”