Senior Health

In literature and popular culture, we often talk about our hearts and our heads: the two being often diametrically opposed to one another. Use your brain! one may say. Follow your heart! says another. It would make sense to think that these two organs would be completely separate when it comes to health, too. However, the connection between the brain and the heart is much closer than you might expect...in fact, you might say that you can’t affect one without affecting the other. It turns out that our hearts and our brains are the yin and the yang that keep our body moving. Our heart pumps oxygenated blood throughout our body – which is what fuels our brain – which sends signals to the heart to keep pumping, and so on, and so forth. When your cardiovascular system is working at peak performance, your brain is more likely to be firing on all cylinders. However, when blood vessels become damaged, this can lead to a slew of health complications like heart disease, stroke...and even cognitive issues like memory loss and dementia. Since February is American Heart Month, we at Avalon wanted to put together some tips on how to practice heart-healthy – and brain-healthy – habits that will help people of all ages keep their systems in tip-top shape. By working to keep your heart healthy, you will also lower your risk of cognitive diseases like Alzheimer’s, lessen your risk of a stroke or arterial disease and increase your well-being in innumerable ways. Preventing Dementia Through Heart-Healthy Habits Yes, we know – there are no hard-and-fast ways to prevent dementia. In fact, you may have heard it said that dementia isn’t really preventable at all. That’s both true and [...]

Malnutrition is a significant risk for seniors, who struggle to eat for a number of different reasons. Seniors who are living with dementia are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition, and a major focus of memory care in assisted living centers is building healthy diets for residents. Watch this video to learn more. For seniors, eating is not always easy. In addition to problems with lack of access to food, seniors may take medications that decrease their appetites, and their taste buds may change, making eating less appealing. For people with dementia, remembering to eat can be a problem. Continuous memory care can help counteract dementia-related eating issues with scheduled meal times. Don’t let your loved one suffer from the ill effects of malnutrition. Contact Avalon Memory Care in Dallas, Arlington or Houston and learn how we can support your family’s need for continuous care for your loved one. You can reach us by calling (214) 752-7050.