Over six million U.S. adults have Alzheimer’s disease, and your mom is one of them. You’ve supported her to this point, but her care needs are increasing. It’s getting harder to meet all of her care needs and still have time for work, your children, and a personal life. Can’t you just drop daily exercise from that list? Why is exercise so important for people with Alzheimer’s and how can Alzheimer’s home care providers assist your loved one?
Regular Exercise Assists With Inflammation
Alzheimer’s disease is an inflammatory condition. Exercise helps lower oxidative stress levels, which can slow the progression of some of the troublesome symptoms of Alzheimer’s, such as memory loss and decline of cognitive functions like reading comprehension and critical thinking skills.
Strength training can help your mom maintain her balance skills for longer than normal. In the mid-stages of Alzheimer’s disease, the fall risk increases. Your mom is stepping out of the shower and loses her balance when she lifts one leg. She falls and hurts herself.
Exercise Increases Mental Wellness
Exercise is a good way to avoid falls, but it also helps ease the stress she feels. Anxiety and stress are common in Alzheimer’s. A daily walk can be a good start to helping your mom feel less anxious and stressed.
Depression is another issue that often arises with Alzheimer’s. It can appear in the early stages. With regular walks, your mom’s stress and anxiety decrease, and the exercise boosts her happiness. That can be a good way to help her ease depression, especially if her doctor also has her working with a mental health professional.
If you join your mom on a daily walk, it also helps you ease some of your stress and uncertainty. It’s an important way to keep yourself healthy.
Exercise Provides Mental Stimulation
Your mom’s brain may be slowly deteriorating, but she still needs to be stimulated. Exercise can be very stimulating and help her focus on having fun. A walk while looking for a list of items is a good activity for exercising and stimulating the brain.
Print out a list of birds to spot on a walk. Each one that she finds could be a reward she gains later. For example, you know she loves ice cream, so finding 20 different birds leads to one scoop. It will improve her mood and also be a good way to work on memory recall.
Schedule Alzheimer’s Home Care Services
Even as your mom’s condition worsens, she cannot stop exercising. She needs to stretch her muscles, move around, and keep her blood flowing. You don’t want her to develop painful blood clots in her legs or develop pressure sores. Exercise is vital.
Arrange Alzheimer’s home care aides to make sure your mom’s care needs are attended to throughout the day. Her caregivers can move her around, support her on walks, and keep her moving. Talk to our Alzheimer’s home care specialist to learn more.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Alzheimer’s Home Care Services in McFarland CA please contact the caring staff at Purpose Driven Home Health & Home Care. Call (661) 412-9730.
Purpose Driven Home Health & Home Care provides exceptional home care for seniors and families in Bakersfield, Wasco, Shafter, Delano, Lamont, Arvin, Taft, Tehachapi, Frazier Park, McFarland, and surrounding areas.
Purpose Driven Home Health & Home Care provides exceptional home care for seniors and families in Bakersfield, Wasco, Shafter, Delano, Lamont, Arvin, Taft, Tehachapi, Frazier Park, McFarland, and surrounding areas.
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